West Midlands Exploration

Hub Hunting in East Birmingham and Coleshill

2012-02-18T18:36:00.004Z

Friday 17th February 2012 was a day with a real air of celebration as Mr D9 and I met up for our latest Hub Marketing adventure. A tour of East Birmingham was in the offing as we marked the birth of Mr D9’s baby daughter, Harmony Grace…

WEST BROMWICH: Given recent events in the Black Country derby, I could have been excused for never wanting to hear the words ‘West Bromwich’ ever again but I did put my allegiances to one side for the sake of opening the day’s photo count. A Metro ride to Trinity Way gets things moving and I must admit I rather enjoyed having a look at Holy Trinity Church. Braving the M5 Junction 1 roundabout, I catch a glance of the West Bromwich Dartmouth cricket ground before my attentions turn to another sporting arena I’d care not to dwell on too much. The Hawthorns is perfectly acceptable as a modern football stadium though so I feel impelled to grudgingly get some shots of it.

BIRMINGHAM: With Mr D9 safely in attendance we head into Brum where our first mission is to wet the baby’s head courtesy of a drink in the Wellington. Of the ales on offer, Totty Pot sounded the most appropriate name and proved to be a rather delicious dark porter, so here’s to Harmony Grace with the best of luck to her proud parents. Apparently Andy just about has more hair than his new daughter but that situation could change before too long!

- Totty Pot in the Wellington -

DIGBETH: a D9 hubcrawl is never complete without a bit of toilet tracking so we wandered down to Banbury Street to see what remained of an old street urinal that was located close to the Gun Barrel Proofing House. Sadly all we could see of the closet were the ghostly traces of repaired brickwork so we consoled ourselves with a swift half of Wychwood’s Dirty Tackle from the historic Old Crown pub on the corner of Heath Mill Lane.

SMALL HEATH: We needed that drink to fortify us for what was to come next, namely an incursion down the Coventry Road into Small Heath. Here we have the very epitomy of multicultural Birmingham, a densely populated inner-city area lying in the shadow of St Andrew’s football ground. You can feel outnumbered in areas like this but I nonetheless find such places fascinating, witnessing other cultures at close quarters. The local park appears to be a haven for pigeons whilst the mix of temples and ethnic supermarkets adds to the interest of the architecture. I really enjoyed sneaking a few photos as we went along, my targets included the old park lodge, the George & Dragon pub and the Brighton Arms where we called in for some M&B Mild.

- Small Heath Park Lodge -

BORDESLEY GREEN: The pub pictures continue aplenty as we proceed along Green Lane, passing in turn the St Andrews Tavern, the Gunmakers Arms and the Gables (the latter now having been loosely converted into some shops). The number 8 Inner Circle route toys with us on Victoria Street, laying over as if to beckon us on board but then driving off after we’d sprinted half-way up the road.

97A and 90: annoying as that 8 was, missing it probably worked in our favour as we could instead enjoy a couple of rides to book-end the briefest of dalliances with Chelmsley Wood (or ‘Chelmsley Chav’ as Andy prefers to call it). The 97s are working in convoy as we board by the Victoria, and our 97A gives a front-row view of Heartlands Hospital, the Meadway and Bosworth Drive, Mr D9 doing the driving honours on the final approach into Chelmsley Wood hub. We interchange instantly onto the 90 for a whirl around Chelmsley’s outer termini before crossing above the M42 out into Warwickshire.

- The D9 rides into 'Chelmsley Chav'-

COLESHILL: A complete contrast from our earlier surroundings as we find ourselves in a quintessential small English town complete with old parish church (St Peter & St Paul) and a collection of tantalising coaching inns. Tempting as it was, we couldn’t try them all so our eventual pick resulted in encounters with a Mad Goose and a Hooker (the George & Dragon and the Green Man being the obliging hostelries). The River Cole skirts by the northern tip of the High Street, and other features include a pillory and whipping post used to punish local drunks – ah, so that’s why we behaved ourselves!

- The Dog Inn, Water Orton -

WATER ORTON: determined not to risk a whipping, we quickly move on to nearby Water Orton, the 90 doing the honours via Coleshill Parkway Station. Water Orton has its own little railway station, a parish church (also dedicated to St Peter & St Paul), a branch library and a couple of pubs (the Digby and the Dog). It’s the Dog that attracts our custom, the barman serving us our Ruddle’s County and making us feel very much at home with a dose of chat and banter.

WASHWOOD HEATH: Our Warwickshire interlude had been most enjoyable but it was time to return to the Birmingham beat. The 90 is again on hand, taking us through Castle Bromwich and Hodge Hill (via the Clock Garage) to drop us off in Washwood Heath. Here Andy points out the site of the former bus garage, although most traces of the old depot appear to have been obliterated by the construction of a Pak supermarket. We also investigate the Metropolitan-Cammell trainbuilding plant, Andy finding a novel use for the gates off Leigh Road.

- The Ward End Park Closet -

GUN QUARTER: The 94 is our link back into Birmingham City Centre, bashing down through Saltley to Nechells Parkway. The Dog and Partridge looks like a traditional pub on the outside but loses some of the mystique once indoors, and then we finish off with a glimpse of the Gun Quarter. I’ve previously commented on the joys of the Bull, the corner pub on Price Street that resembles granny's parlour, but I wasn’t aware of the Gunmakers Arms with its M&B signs just around the bend on Bath Street. Together those two made for an excellent flourish on which to bid Brum goodbye.

CLOSING: With the BT Tower and the Rotunda receding on the skyline, we pitch up at Soho to get some bearings with the Black Eagle (very popular as ever) and the borderline-derelict Soho Tavern. A Metro from Benson Road completes the job to get us full circle back to West Bromwich where the Billiard Hall enables us to indulge in one final toast to the health of Harmony Grace. So there you have it, a cracking day with much variety that was highly fitting for a special occasion...

Cheers!

Coventry Combinations

2012-02-14T21:35:00.006Z

Saturday 11th February 2012: It seems like only five minutes since I was last in Coventry, but the small matter of an impending Network Review meant that a speedy return was required so that I could sample some soon-to-be-amended services...

Coventry: Pitching up off the train at ten past ten, I sprint to the Warwick Road bus stops just in time to see my intended 15 bus go whizzing off into the distance. No matter, I can fill in the time by tracking down the Aardvark and the Broomfield Tavern for my opening pub pictures of the day before catching the next 15 half an hour later.

15: a service that links Coventry City Centre with Finham and a circular loop of Fenside. The ride takes me past War Memorial Park and down the Kenilworth Road before flirting with the Burnt Post pub on Kenpas Highway. It's then into Finham, proceeding down Bathway Road and Green Lane before encountering the local shops on Brentwood Avenue. A quick blast on Stonebridge Highway leads neatly to the Fenside estate and I alight by Charminster Drive.

- Finham Library -

Fenside and Finham: Time for more photography, beginning with the bus as it lingers at the stop on Fenside Avenue. A row of shops has caught my eye and I also find the Festival pub as I make my way back round onto Stonebridge Highway. The Styvechale Harvester is a useful landmark overlooking a prominent A45 roundabout, then I dart round into Finham where I discover a local branch library quietly situated on Finham Green. Emerging onto Green Lane I catch the return 15 up towards Coventry - I believe new service 9 will be covering down here in future.

1: Top Green Park still has a coating of snow to make for some pretty winter shots, then I connect with my next bus on Spencer Road. The 1 is a route I have used before and in full it connects Toll Bar End with Chapelfields, albeit not for much longer. Today the service takes me past Spencer Park and into Earlsdon before skirting Hearsall Common and trundling down to the Chapelfields terminus at the top end of Grayswood Avenue.

Allesley Park: my terminus trail continues as I navigate my way past the New Spires pub and along Brookside Avenue into Allesley Park. The main centre of the estate focuses on the Westmede Centre shops near the junction of Winsford Avenue and Whitaker Road, plus there's a Bethesda Chapel and a new-looking Neighbourhood Centre to keep me occupied. Winsford Avenue curves round to the upper half of the estate, revealing St Christopher's Church and a more vintage Community Centre before I arrive at the turning circle opposite the Chilterns. The terminus is actually located close to the site of Allesley Hall and you can detect the undulations of the old moat in amongst the nearby trees.

- 23 at Allesley Park -

23: here we have a route that links the Allesley Park estate with Coventry Pool Meadow at 15 minute intervals or thereabouts, although the 2 is set to be extended Cross City from Cheylesmore as a replacement. The journey into Coventry is relatively quick, hurtling back along Winsford Avenue followed by Allesley Old Road. Four Pounds Avenue smoothly connects with the Holyhead Road by a Morrisons supermarket, the Alvis Retail Park and the Holyhead pub.

36: my stay at Pool Meadow is very brief, being just about long enough for me to stock up on new timetables for the revised services coming into force from 26th February. Stand L is the departure point for the half of the 36 that goes to Little Heath, and I'm soon away again with a double decker vantage point from which to see Harnall Lane East (Hillfields), Heath Crescent (Stoke Heath) and Sewall Highway.

Little Heath: Proffitt Avenue marks the end point of the 36 so I alight just before the junction with Old Church Road. I can't resist attempting a bus photo or two but it's the old church itself that really captures my imagination. St Laurence's is the parish church for the Foleshill area and is a very fine landmark with its prominent clock tower.

- St Laurence's Church, Foleshill -

Bell Green and Wood End: I now have the dubious pleasure of sampling a couple of the less-attractive areas of Coventry. I've been quite critical of Bell Green before but I did at least get to see more of it today, albeit the Riley Square precinct is still one of the most offputting shopping centres I've ever come across. Remarkably, things were actually about to get worse as I then ventured across into Wood End, finding a virtually abandoned street where house after house was boarded up and empty. I understand the properties are earmarked for demolition as part of a regeneration project so the sooner this happens the better. It would be unfair to label the place too much as there are efforts being made to improve the estate, a shining example being the Moat House Leisure Centre off Winston Avenue.

Potters Green: Deedmore Road leads me up past St Patrick's Catholic Church as I bear down on my final target, Potters Green. I'm on the lookout for Ringwood Highway but before I wander that way something tells me to continue along Shilton Lane a little - I'm glad I did as I was rewarded with some shots of the Boat Inn, a pub now separated from the canal by the small matter of the M6 motorway. Ringwood Highway brings me to the turning circle currently serving as the north-eastern terminus of the 32, the stop being located by the shops at the junction with Yewdale Crescent. A primary school and St Philip's Church are other notable features here but I don't really have time to investigate them.

- 32 at Potters Green -

32: the current route links Potters Green with Tanyard Farm via Coventry City Centre and Tile Hill, but the changes will see the 6/6A (Tanyard Farm to Little Heath or Victoria Farm) and the 8/8A (Woodway Park and Potters Green to Coventry Station) taking on the split mantle. As for the existing service, I rather enjoy the run down the Hinckley and Ansty Roads passing a few half-familiar Walsgrave landmarks such as St Mary's Church, the Red Lion and the Coventry Oak.

27: changing at Pool Meadow once more, I have one final important nugget to squeeze in. If ever there is a route that has been the backbone of my Coventry explorations then it has to be the 27, a service that has greeted me outside the railway station on several occasions to provide a link into the City Centre or beyond towards the Walsgrave Hospital. It therefore seems highly fitting that I should say goodbye with a Bendibus bash back to the railway station and a closing treasured photo on the station forecourt. The 8/8A/9/9A will be the new station links but the 27 will always have a reserved space in my memories.

Entering the station, my luck is in as the 16:22 Virgin Pendolino service is on hand to deliver me directly to Wolverhampton, the serenest of rides as I reflected on the routes I'd investigated and the changes to come. As ever, it will be interesting to see how the new network is received and I look forward to making use of the exploration opportunities it could provide. As for today, my instant return to Coventry had been well worth the effort and I have an inkling I might be back again before too long...

A Titanic Time in Redditch

2012-02-04T21:57:00.006Z

It's not your average evening that includes some Rock and Roll portering followed by a trip behind the Iron Curtain that ends up with you being Shipwrecked and Overboard, but that's precisely what happened to Nick and myself at the Redditch Winter Ale Festival yesterday...

It was certainly an eventful evening, but first a bash at some Bradley exploration. Catching the Metro to Loxdale, I mosied down the Bradley Canal Arm to see the housing developments springing up by Glasshouse Bridge. It was interesting to locate St Martin's Church on Slater Street, the former schoolhouse having been converted into a place of worship when the original church succumbed to dry rot. The Crown and Cushion pub on Bank Street appears to have become the latest casualty of closure, then Highfields Road leads me past the frozen waters of Ladymoor Pool, the Canada geese looking a little bemused skating around on the solid surface.

- St Martin's Church -

Meeting Nick at Woodcross, we catch the 229 down to Coseley Station for our connection to Birmingham. It's simple enough to join the Cross City Line but our initial link only gets us as far as Longbridge, where we endure a particularly bracing wait as the temperatures begin to plummet. The 17:36 train rides to our rescue, cruising through Barnt Green and Alvechurch in the dark to then set us down at Redditch at about 6pm.

We were hoping to call upon Nick's previous experiences of visiting the festival as a means of guiding us to the venue, but somehow we couldn't quite get our bearings. Our intended walk along Mount Pleasant instead became a wander along the Bromsgrove Road into Batchley, and it was only thanks to some chap in a corner shop that we were put on the right course. Even when we found ourselves in Headless Cross we still felt lost, and it was definitely more by luck than judgement that we happened to spot the festival sign just when we were about to go in another random direction.

- Stottidge Stout -

The festival was being held at the Rocklands Social Club off Birchfield Road and some fellow alefans are on hand to guide us through the entrance foyer. The club itself looked very popular with some interesting ales on, but the main festival hall was located in the back function room and seems to have attracted quite an audience. Redditch and Bromsgrove CAMRA had adopted a Titanic theme for the event, hence the festival glass had a smart ship motif and many of the volunteers were sporting t-shirts sponsored by the Titanic Brewery. We collect our tokens and programme then have a scout around the room, spotting the tombola stall, a CAMRA membership stand and the food hatch.

Our comical detour on the way here meant we were definitely now ready for a drink. The ales are arranged in the far left corner and our first choice sees us immediately aiming for something black with the Flowerpots Brewery's Stottidge Stout fitting the bill perfectly. I followed this with a couple of paler beers, Sadlers' Honey Fuggle and Upham's Nectar, a third of a pint being just a nice amount to allow you to taste a variety of brews. Nick meanwhile was exploring his Lithuanian dark side - he's definitely got his eye on some Imperial Russian Stout...

Now for the stronger stuff. The Rock and Roll Brewery from Shirley wasn't a place I'd heard of before so it was intriguing to try some of their Black Dog Porter. A couple of pasties from the hatch keep hunger at bay and then it's my turn to venture behind the Iron Curtain, Titanic's Russian Stout proving powerful stuff with a strong hint of coffeee fragrance - Nick was so taken with the drink that he had two goes at it. My other favourite from the festival was Kinver's Shipwrecked and Overboard, fitting the Titanic theme to a tee - I always like beers with slightly silly names so this was a highly appropriate choice to finish on.

- The Gate Hangs Well -

With final tipples in hand we made our way to the tombola stall where my heart was set on winning a cuddly Bagpuss. No such luck I'm afraid, although I did come away with an origami set and some chocolate truffle seashells. In scenes reminiscent of Stafford last year, Nick's turn sees him waltz away with one of the star prizes - not a monkey this time but a Woods Brewery jacket, so not only has he got Shipwrecked and Overboard but he also got Fleeced as well! On that note, the room is really filling up now so it's time for us to head off - we thoroughly enjoyed attending the festival and our thanks go to all of the organisers and volunteers for making it such a friendly event to visit.

Our evening wasn't quite over though as we still had time to sample a couple of Redditch's Good Beer Guide contingent. We stumbled across the Gate Hangs Well almost by accident, the pub being on Evesham Road literally just around the corner from the festival. The place was very busy but we squeezed in by the dartboard for a half of Hooky Bitter, a silky smooth drink in cosy surroundings. We were still a little uncertain about our intended route back into the town centre but thankfully we guessed right this time and were rewarded with a closing half in the Woodland Cottage - Springhead's Fallen Angel doing the business in another lively little local. With that we head straight down to Redditch Station (it was that simple all along!) with Nick being so grateful for his new fleece (extra layers in the cold temperatures) that he even does a spot of modelling on the train home. Pretty much a perfect evening!

- I've been Fleeced! -

Ales Around Amblecote

2012-02-02T09:43:00.006Z

The first day of February sees the Chip Foundation returning to action with our opening outing for 2012. It's Wednesday afternoon, the weather is bright but chilly as we look forward to a few hours spent in the company of Stourbridge, Wordsley and Amblecote, picking up on some prized pubs that I was first introduced to by Roger...

DUKE WILLIAM: A favourite for starters. Stephen and I time our arrival off the 256 just perfectly to meet Nick from the Parry's People Mover at Stourbridge Town Station, then a little walk down Stourbridge High Street brings us to the welcoming warmth of the Duke William. Having been voted local CAMRA Pub of the Year in 2011, the place is really going from strength to strength, and the same could also be said of the Craddock's Brewery based at the pub - Nick and I sample a selection of the home brews including Capra, Troll and Crest, whilst a Sadler's Hippo also made an appearance. The lounge is very cosy festooned with hops as we try not to talk about England's capitulation to Pakistan in the latest test match.

- Dutiful poses in the Duke William -

MAVERICK: After that excellent opener, we proceed to Amblecote courtesy of the 257, alighting by the Old Dial and crossing over to the Maverick. Here we have a distinctly different pub experience as the place has its own Wild West theme, complete with pictures of Native Americans and signs for wolf-shooting bounty hunters. Walking in is more akin to entering a saloon bar as opposed to a Black Country boozer, but there's no doubting its considerable popularity. Stephen tops himself up with blackcurrant and lemonade whilst Nick and I take flight with some Sopwith Camel from the Cottage Brewery in Somerset - yee-haw!

ROBIN HOOD: We weren't quite sure how Nickolenko's Lithuanian tendencies would react from exposure to Country & Western music so we hot-footed it up Collis Street, collecting some tasty chips from the Amblecote Fish Bar on the way. The Robin Hood would be our next port of call, perched on the slope and bedecked with pretty white fairy lights. Inside the pub is very homely and comes with the added bonus of some Enville Old Porter, nicely dark just the way Nick likes it.

- The Starving Rascal -

STARVING RASCAL: The pubs around Amblecote are packed closely together so we only had to walk to the top of the road to reach our next target. The Starving Rascal takes its name from a local legend where a former licensee of the then Dudley Arms turned away a starving beggar. No such problems for us this evening as we are warmly greeted and provided with appropriate refreshments - Castle Rock Harvest Pale for me and Malvern Hills Black Pear for Nick. There is a much-appreciated real fire on the go to help us stave off the chills, and we admire more hop decorations as well as ceramic jugs and a whiskey menu board.

SWAN: I said the pubs were close, well the next one is literally nine doors (I counted them personally!) further down Brettell Lane. In a first for Stephen, we actually find ourselves waiting outside for the pub to open, then at 7pm the landlord pulls the door ajar and in we troop. Rog and I have enjoyed a few drinks in the lounge here so it seemed appropriate to continue that tradition, settling in with a half of Abbeydale's Transformation all the way from Sheffield. The display of pumpclips catches my eye, and whilst we can't see anything cricket-related for Stephen, the landlord invites us to have a look at a further array adorning the canopy in the bar - the Swan always scores highly for Black Country hospitality.

BIRD IN HAND: Having ambled our way around Amblecote it was time to weave a trail into Wordsley. The Red House Glass Cone was lit up on the skyline, acting as a guiding angel pulling us towards our next inn. The Bird in Hand is a backstreet corner local on John Street situated right in the shadow of the cone, and the lounge here provides a most relaxed setting where a half of Bumblehole is accompanied by soft lighting and candles.

- A Motley Bunch in the New Inn -

NEW INN: We have one final stop in order to complete matters, so we set off into the cold once more and haul ourselves up Wordsley Hill. At the top end of the High Street the New Inn awaits us, a no-nonsense place where the Bitter is the main attraction - it's hard to beat a bit of Bathams! Stephen gamely takes care of another lemonade and blackcurrant, and we time our exit just right to catch the 20:29 256 directly back to Wolverhampton.

What a gem of an outing that turned out to be! I've always had a high regard for the pubs we visited, and my thanks go to Rog for acquainting me with them in the first place. Beer wise we did a proper tour of local breweries with Craddocks, Sadlers, Enville, Olde Swan and Bathams all represented, and each of the pubs had their own individuality to make for an evening full of interest. Add in the chips and the chat, and all in all it was top notch stuff.

WME Flickr Focus: January 2012

2012-01-31T19:53:00.003Z

Greetings everyone, and within no time at all the first month of 2012 has hurtled past us already. It doesn't seem five minutes since New Year's Eve and yet here I am reflecting on another month of developments from the WME Flickr photostream. Let's see what January had to offer...

As things have turned out, the last 31 days have been surprisingly productive. Top of the bill is WME Birmingham with a chunky batch of 70 reinstated photos, whilst WME Dudley gets the nod for best supporting act with a healthy enough 36 pictures. WME Sandwell has a bit-part 10 images to report, whilst our almost silent extras are WME Coventry and WME Solihull to bring the ensemble total to a round tally of 908 items. Those are the bare facts of the January nominations, so lets add a bit of padding to the performance.

WME Birmingham has indeed provided most of my recent drama. There has been plenty of rescued content, particularly as regards rail and local photos. Hamstead and Stechford Stations made a welcome return to the stage with Yardley Wood and Kings Norton Stations beefing up their respective roles, and a trio of train shots are putting on a show for the Bournville Station set. My local repertory now features such luminaries as Woodgate Valley (with its bridge over the Bourn Brook), Stechford Shops (specifically the tile centre) and a couple of shopping scenes from Highfield Road Yardley Wood. A few buses have breezed through in the background, notably the 103 at Woodgate Valley North and the 26 at Bromford Bridge, not forgetting that the Dudley No. 2 Canal has made its presence felt with some photos plotting the remains of the line at Selly Oak Park.

To WME Dudley next, where the growing cast now includes the likes of Bromley (the Fox & Goose pub), Gornal Wood (the Bush Inn and the post office), Brockmoor (the Commercial Inn and another post office) and Hayley Green (two views of the Foxhunt). Bus-wise I must mention a selection of 246s at Stourbridge, plus a brace of 251s, although perhaps my favourite resuscitated photo is of the Dock Off Licence and General Stores now screening on my Wordsley selection.

Elsewhere, WME Sandwell was reduced to a mere cameo this time around - although saying that, it can still boast additions to Great Bridge (the Lounge Bar, previously the Limerick) and the reappearance of Hamstead (the former Joker pub featuring prominently). Look carefully and amongst the closing credits you might just spot the camera-shy WME Coventry (a further train at Canley being the only new arrival) and the first steps for WME Solihull, which overcomes its stagefright with a 966A bus at Solihull Station and a couple of piccies from Birmingham International.

Finally let's take a quick glance behind the scenes where we find that the backstage crew (yours truly) has been hard at work uploading another sizeable wedge of the WME archive. All of my Fotopic pictures for Telford, Warwickshire and Shropshire are now in place ready for release when I get round to it, which just leaves me with Exploration Extra to get back onto the roster. Preparations are now underway for the next round of performances and we wait to see just which of my collections will prove to be star-of-the-show Oscar winners in February...

Down Staffordshire Way

2012-01-31T08:17:00.003Z

Saturday 28th January 2012: The 88 bus route and the Staffordshire Way long distance footpath provided the foundations for a day spent sampling South Staffordshire at its finest…

The 88 and 88A: These Arriva routes took over some months ago from the former 880 service which had been operated by Midland. Linking Wolverhampton and Stafford via either Perton or Brewood, the route offered intriguing connections that I was keen to explore, so at 10:06 I joined the 88A outside the Polish Catholic Church on Stafford Road. The ride was scenic and relaxing, passing through Coven, Brewood and Bishops Wood before the bus filled up with passengers at Wheaton Aston. The next village along was my cue to alight…

Lapley: and what a place to start! The bus dropped me off directly outside the Vaughan Arms, a handsome old village inn that has sadly closed down, probably for good. The little village green was just opposite, complete with old-fashioned red telephone box and a black and white finger post sign. Walking along the country lanes I hear a cockerel crowing in a nearby farm, and then I savour the scene at All Saints Churchyard where the crisp winter sunshine gave the historic church a wonderful golden hue, the very definition of a picture postcard setting.

- All Saints Church, Lapley -

Shropshire Union Canal: putting my Staffordshire Way guidebook to good use, I venture down through the grounds of Lapley Wood Farm and onto the towpath of the Shropshire Union Canal at Bridge 17. Admittedly it was very muddy as I squelched along, but the smoky sights and smells of moored-up narrowboats with chimneys in steam was very much worth witnessing. Bridge 18 marks the approach to Wheaton Aston, then Bridge 19 sits alongside the Hartley Arms and the village garage. I exit at Bridge 20 and follow a dirt track round into the local estate.

Wheaton Aston: a village I first visited with Dad nearly four years ago, hasn’t time flown? It’s great to be back adding in some extra photos, so as well as the Hartley Arms and the garage I can also busy myself with shots of the Coach & Horses, a couple of shops and a vintage Green Bus Services bus stop sign.

88A: with my first bit of walking out of the way, it’s back onto the bus for a short ride up through Lapley towards Penkridge. The lanes get particularly narrow near Bickford Grange Farm so high hedges and passing places are the order of the day, and at one point there is a flooded corner to contend with. After a few twists and turns I spot my next target, the bell is pressed and the driver stops obligingly at the end of Bickford Road.

The Swan: a special trip requires a special pub and I’m pleased to say that the Swan at Whiston more than lived up to expectations. The pub is a free house with a strong association with Holden’s Brewery, hence the neat sign proclaiming that Golden Glow was on sale here. Part of the charm is the pub’s seemingly remote location on a country lane with very few houses around – it is very peaceful and I can enjoy the field and farm views sitting in the front window of the bar room. Beer wise the choice was excellent and I opted for some Ay Up from the Dancing Duck Brewery, the pint arriving in immaculate condition.

Whiston Walk: Suitably refreshed I continued with my Staffordshire Way hike, crossing fields and traversing the Whiston Brook. The various farms of Preston provide a glimpse of agriculture in action, and I am teased by views of the railway viaduct and St Michael’s Church on the approach into Penkridge.

Penkridge: all this exercising is a sure-fire way to build up an appetite, so a pit stop at Penkridge means I can keep hunger at bay with a quick sandwich in the memorial gardens. My taste for photos is also suitably sated thanks to a few shots of the church and the railway station.

88: my 14:50 connection towards Codsall arrives and it’s a rollicking good ride charging back through Whiston, Lapley and Wheaton Aston. The lanes really open out beyond Bishops Wood as the bus fairly thunders along, shuddering with every malevolent pothole we encounter.

- The Cross Guns, Codsall Wood -

Codsall Wood: here was another village I’d first explored during a country walk with Dad, and the bus kindly drops me off in perfect position for a look at the Cross Guns. The pub is a fine landmark and came with the added bonus of having the former post office just across the road – I remember an article in the Express & Star when the store was made to close down. Further interest is found courtesy of the Crown pub followed by St Peter’s Church on Whitehouse Lane.

Codsall: The final stretch of an energetic outing takes me across the fields following the old parishioners’ path that was used to connect St Peter’s with the parent church, St Nicholas in Codsall. Some of the views are simply stunning as I climb up the hill passing fishing pools and then Codsall cemetery, the whole way being bathed in glorious afternoon sunshine. From Church Lane I wend my way down to catch the 5 at Codsall terminus and the final act is the serenest of rides back to Wolverhampton. Great winter weather, great trip!

An Exercise in the Black Country

2012-01-16T18:21:00.002Z

Saturday 14th January 2012 and my first solo trip of the New Year is accompanied by the first real signs of winter as I embark on a circuitous walk from Stourbridge to Netherton…

- Stourbridge Bus Station Takes Shape -

STOURBRIDGE: An iced-up 256 gets the day off to a nippy start with a ride down through Wombourne, Wall Heath and Kingswinford, the route diverting through the Penfields estate to reach the temporary stands on Birmingham Street. A lot of progress has been made with the Stourbridge Interchange Project since the last time I was here, and it appears that the main stand buildings are now essentially in place. Work continues on remodelling the subway and creating a feature entrance by the railway station.

OLDSWINFORD: My walk begins with a stroll up the Hagley Road, the sun streaming into my eyes on the way into Oldswinford. The Cross and the Shrubbery Cottage ensure a healthy quota of pub photos then I detour away from Love Lane to have a look at Mary Stevens Park, the crisp morning frost giving a crunchy texture underfoot.

- St Peter's Church, Pedmore -

PEDMORE: Back on Love Lane, I weave my way around into Pedmore where the Foley Arms and little convenience store are familiar features from previous visits. A peek at St Peter’s Church reveals a picture postcard scene where the churchyard looks out over the neighbouring cricket ground, a classic English view on a beautiful winter’s morning. Pedmore Lane then leads me down into the Pedmore Fields estate where I can renew my acquaintance with the Queensway pub on the corner of Gauden Road and Walker Avenue.

WOLLESCOTE: I remember visiting Wollescote one dark evening with Rog so it was interesting this time to see the place in daylight. Stevens Park is an extensive area of open space and includes the impressive Wollescote Hall, a grade two listed building that is now used by Dudley Council’s Social Services department. A hefty climb up Perrins Lane brings me to the Top Bell pub on Belmont Road, a landmark I remember from the old 248 bus route. Another cracking (if somewhat morbid) find is the Lye & Wollescote Cemetery where the historic chapels building immediately caught my eye with its needle-like spire.

- Wollescote Hall -

THE VINE: After a brief flirtation with Lye Cross, I haul my aching feet up Thorns Road for views of another Stevens Park (the Quarry Bank version) plus the recently re-opened Thorns pub. I can’t resist a little detour towards the Delph where I reward all my morning’s endeavours with a silky pint of Batham’s Bitter in the Bull & Bladder – even the presence of several West Bromwich Albion shirts can’t detract from this bastion of Black Country boozers. Instilled with fresh vigour, I collect myself some lunch in Brierley Hill and then look forward to the afternoon’s expeditions.

DUDLEY No. 1 CANAL: Joining the towpath at Ninelocks Bridge, I proceed over the Embankment with panoramic views of the Merry Hill Centre – I much prefer seeing it from on high rather than being caught up in all the hurly-burly of the shopping arcades. I was perhaps expecting the Waterfront to be busier, but the calmness was welcome for some shots of the Round Oak Bridges. I then pass the site of Woodside Junction, from where the former Two Lock Branch used to provide a short-cut to the Dudley No. 2 Canal, before exiting the canal at Peartree Lane.

WOODSIDE: I leave the waterways momentarily for a little local interlude wandering around Woodside, pocketing further pub photos courtesy of the Woodside Inn and the Crown (the latter having seemingly closed down). The Railway Inn is a nice discovery on Buxton Road, then Holly Hall Road connects me back to the canals at Parkhead.

- Grazebrook Arm Bridge -

DUDLEY No. 2 CANAL: Back on the towpath trail, I have a mooch around Pensnett Basin and the Grazebrook Arm (both short stubs of the wider Parkhead complex) and then scamper over Blowers Green Lock to join the Dudley No. 2 line. It’s only a short distance to Blackbrook Bridge but the surroundings change in character from stripy yellow industrial warehouses to tufty fields with grazing ponies and Netherton Church peeking out amongst the treetops.

NETHERTON: My final destination is in sight but there’s just a little bit of business to take care of first. Blackbrook Road is quite intriguing, the track feeling almost forgotten until it reaches some terraces up by Hill Street. The Hope Tavern provides a photographic flourish, the pub appearing as a traditional corner alehouse from its perch on Cinder Bank, whilst a Hingley anchor now takes pride of place on the square outside the Arts Centre, replicating the ones manufactured locally for use on the Titanic. With a quick nod to Ma Pardoe’s and the former Junction pub, I bring matters to a close with the 244 and 1 buses safely escorting me back to Wolverhampton.

- The Hope Tavern -

Job done then and that walk was quite an achievement, linking Stourbridge and Netherton via seemingly everywhere in between. My thighs feel much more toned, my feet still haven’t forgiven me, but the aches and pains were all made more than worthwhile by the chance to gather some special Black Country photos and memories.

Starters Orders for 2012 Hub Marketing

2012-01-08T20:44:00.007Z

Friday 6th January and the first full trip of 2012 comprises a morning tour of Walsall’s eastern districts followed by an afternoon with Mr D9 sampling pubs and ales around Darlaston and Wednesbury…

PHEASEY: Starting with the solo stuff and a pleasant ride on the 451 takes me from West Bromwich to Queslett with a look at the A41 roadworks and Scott Arms. The Old Horns pub kickstarts the photo count and then I venture into the Pheasey Park Farm estate, one of my lesser explored areas of Walsall. The Collingwood Centre and the local branch library provide some interest along with the Beacon Church and a block of shops. Collingwood Drive seems to have a regular supply of buses as the 33, 934, 997 and 651 all pass through in convoy, and then there’s a hint of countryside as I locate Doe Bank Farm up by the Deers Leap pub.

- Line 33 at Pheasey Terminus -

STREETLY: I’m firmly into my stride now as I stroll along Cooksey Lane and then pick my way through the Hundred Acre estate, a place Rog has bad memories of after a previous hike some years ago. Whilst the Chester Road cuts a swathe through the area, the main local centre seems to be on Blackwood Road where there is a neat shopping parade, a primary school and Methodist church. I can also grab my second library shots of the day, although one local resident seems to interpret me taking photos as a sign that the branch might be closing – I sincerely hope that this isn’t the case, although libraries across the country are in the firing line of considerable local authority cutbacks. Wood Lane leads me to the Hardwick Arms to complete my extended walk.

- Streetly Library -

KINGSTANDING: Time now for a dose of Birmingham as the 935 whisks me down to Kingstanding Circle. My main priority is to get a spot of lunch but another clutch of photos are more than welcome, my targets including the Mecca Bingo hall, the police station, the shopping centre and the Kingstanding pub (a Mitchells & Butlers establishment that didn’t look very enticing). All was going swimmingly until the curse of the thick blue lines took over, and my intended 451 connection was nowhere to be seen. I should’ve known that a less-than-robust timetable might operate on a Friday afternoon, and I finally made it back to West Bromwich to meet Mr Lunn at 2pm.

- Kingstanding Bingo -

MOXLEY: With the Hub Marketing Board now in session, we hopped on the Metro for a short ride to Wednesbury and then joined the towpath of the Walsall Canal. We had intended this to be a cursory glance at the waterways but it turned into a full-scale ferret that took in Moorcroft Junction and the remains of the Bradley Locks branch, fascinating remnants of an abandoned route. We’d definitely earned ourselves a drink by this stage so we sampled the hospitality of the Fiery Holes and the Travellers Rest, enjoying half of Banks’s Bitter in each – daytime TV seemed to be the order of the day as we endured episodes of Escape to the Country then Jeremy Kyle, I'm not sure which was the more painful to watch!

- Social Vomit? Has Andy been doing the Pavement Pizza again? -

DARLASTON: Andy’s bald spot acted as a bus-seeking beacon drawing the 39 bus in towards us, and a quick sprint through Herberts Park later we found ourselves in Darlaston on the trail of further refreshment. The George & Dragon is an old-fashioned M&B pub on Church Street, very friendly with some real local characters, and I was also impressed with the Swan where we savoured a half of Spitfire amongst the sporting shields in the smoke room. Our Darlaston trilogy is completed by a swift half in the Old Engine, watching the Australia v India cricket highlights.

- The Green Dragon, Darlaston -

WEDNESBURY: We now aimed to finish the evening in style with a whizz around Wednesbury, but before we could get there a certain bladder made it’s presence felt and an urgent dash to the King George at Bescot was required to stave off any unscheduled waterworks - some things never change! With Andy much relieved we then proceeded down to the Queens Head, a pub I’d never come across before so well done to the Chairman for finding that one out. The Horse & Jockey was very busy, the Olde Leathern Bottle had its familiar olde-worlde leanings and the Nelson was one to say that we’d been in even if it wasn’t up to much. Last but not least came the Old Royal Oak where we met one of Andy’s former colleagues for a chinwag and that was job done for the day - a day that sets me up very nicely for the year ahead.

- Cheers from The Nelson -

WME Flickr Focus: December 2011

2012-01-03T08:06:00.002Z

It's time to tie up those remaining loose ends left over from 2011, so here's a little summary of what materialised on the WME Flickr Photostream during December...

Despite all the festivities, last month was still a constructive one with decent chunks of photography making their way back into the public realm - Birmingham alone contributed a healthy 50 pictures, whilst Dudley and Sandwell also reported solid progress. Focusing firstly on WME Birmingham if I may, and the returnees included Bromford Bridge (the Racecourse pub and that distinguished corner shop with all the barbed wire), Stockland Green (the former Stockland Inn and the local bingo hall), Kings Norton (the branch library and the Navigation) and Perry Barr (the post office and the former Birchfield Library). These local offerings were augmented by some rail-related features from the stations at Blake Street, Butlers Lane and Witton.

To WME Dudley next where our headline makers were the Northway estate (the Cabin pub and Sedgley Hall Farm Park), the Delph Locks (on the Dudley No. 1 Canal), a Diamond Bus 74 on layover at Dudley Bus Station and a walk through Coseley Tunnel on the Birmingham Main Line Canal. The canals also came to the fore on WME Sandwell with Factory Junction re-emerging for it's rightful place on the New Main Line set. Tipton tiptoed forward with a couple of extra pub pictures and Langley Green Station stormed through with a variety of views covering trains, platforms and the old station footbridge. Finally there were a couple of Metrobus shots for WME Coventry as the 10 parked up at Eastern Green.

So where does all this leave us going into 2012? Well my running totals are as follows: Wolverhampton 358, Walsall 163, Birmingham 152, Dudley 58, Sandwell 49 and Coventry 8, bringing about a grand score of 788 images. I consider this to be a good effort as I attempted to recover from the loss of my Fotopic galleries back in March, although it does leave a nominal 1571 pictures still in the hat before I even consider adding in brand new content. Now that I have settled in on Flickr I actually prefer it to the old Fotopic anyway - whilst I can't necessarily personalise my photostream I do feel more part of a wider community and the support mechanisms seem much more reliable. Behind the scenes I have uploaded my archives for Solihull, Staffordshire and Worcestershire so hopefully there will be further signs of life showing through over the next few months...

WME Review of the Year - 2011

2012-01-01T10:57:00.004Z

Happy New Year! 2012 has arrived, bringing with it the prospect of the Olympic Games and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, but before we look to the future let's pause and reflect on the twelve months just gone - here are the highlights from the 2011 exploration calendar...

January: a busy start to the year with two Worcestershire themed outings. Rog and I began with a Chaddesley Corbett, Bewdley and Cleobury Mortimer trip (during which the Swan staked an early claim for having the barmaid of the year) followed by a Sunday visit to Autosport Internaional, whilst the full WARP brigade resuscitated our aborted Christmas 2010 adventure by visiting a thankfully snow-free Stoke Prior. Closer to home, I documented the final days of the Phoenix Rise flats in Blakenhall and the Chip Foundation launched 2011 with a Darlaston pubcrawl that featured me sporting a very fetching sticking plaster accoutrement.

February: The shortest month was by no means light on adventure as I joined Rog for a tour of Eccleshall and then Mr D9 Andy for a Smethwick selection. The WARP crew ventured into Shropshire but Highley didn't make much of an impression, and my local trips included a roaming ramble around Aldridge, Castlefort and Brownhills. The Chip Foundation checked out some of Wolverhampton's finest pubs and I even took part in a Radio WM outside broadcast by meeting up with the BBC bus live at Bilston Market!

March: Into spring with my latest London Midland 'Great Escape' taking in Tamworth and Stone complete with an ELO soundtrack. The Chip Foundation brought its 2010/11 winter season to a close with a Walsall visit featuring the Manor Arms at Rushall and the Turf Tavern in Bloxwich. Andy and I rummaged around the canals and pubs of Oldbury, then I took stock of the bus routes of East Birmingham prior to a network review - rumour has it I even deigned to return to the Bromford Bridge estate! I joined forces with Mr B to have a look around Barnt Green, and March will also go down as the month when five years of hard work went up in smoke as the old WME Fotopic galleries disappeared.

April: it's Rail Rover time with a stunning week breezing around the wider Midlands area - Burslem, Beeston, Ledbury and Rugby all figured prominently, all topped off with a call at the Coventry Beer Festival. The WARP guys tackled Shropshire once more with a mooch around Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury and Newport on Grand National Day, then there was the small matter of some Eastertime cricket at Worcester complete with cathedral bells and the sounds of the BBC commentary box. Staffordshire beckoned for my solo tour of Cannock and Hednesford, plus I enjoyed a spare day investigating the Beechdale and Bentley areas of Walsall.

May: and cricket comes to the fore as I join the Bears on Tour in sampling Grace Road (Leicester), Wantage Road (Northampton) and Trent Bridge (Nottingham), the latter seeing us being treated to a masterful innings from Ian Bell. Rog and I dodged the rainclouds around Hockley Heath and Balsall Common (not forgetting the Hawne Tavern) whilst the D9 bandwagon rolled into Netherton and Rowley Regis, searching for tunnel vents around Warrens Hall and Windmill End.

June: Pride of place here has to go to the Weymouth weekend with Rog and Woody, despite the weather doing it's best to dampen the rally spirit on the Sunday. Visits to Lyme Regis, Bournemouth and Swanage supplemented a selection of Weymouth taverns (the Globe was a personal favourite), and the rain even made its way to Canada where Jenson Button won surely the longest grand prix on record. Back on Midlands territory, Rog was also on hand for a hike around Belbroughton and Clent whereby another deluge brought about some colourful comments from a local chap in a hedge. All of that left me just enough time to join Andy for the Digbeth Closet Hunt during which we braved Bordesley and did justice to the Jewellery Quarter.

July: The outings are coming thick and fast now, making the most of the extra sunshine. The full WARP crew are in attendance for two trips - a Liverpool filming locations tour paying homage to Brookside and Bread, then the Keeping Up Appearances visit to Hyacinth's Binley Woods bungalow plus a side order of Stoke Aldermoor. Wonderful Warwick was the Chip Foundation's summer destination as Nickolenko guided us around pubs including the Punchbowl and the Cape of Good Hope - Nick also starred in a couple of Beer Festival pitstops courtesy of Bromsgrove and Stafford (I still haven't forgiven him for winning the monkey on the tombola). A quick mention for my Staffordshire stroll around Featherstone and Shareshill, and finally July was a big month here in Wolverhampton as the city's new bus station was opened and a new network of bus routes came into operation. Once a few tweaks had been applied, I think the revised services have generally been acceptable and the bus station was well-received on the whole.

August: more cricketing capers with a visit to Aigburth, Liverpool where Warwickshire took on eventual title winners Lancashire. The D9 blazed a trail around Great Bridge and West Bromwich as the Hub Marketing Board submitted it's first full minutes, and the remainder of August was then given over to Yorkshire. A family holiday in Richmond included the glorious scenery of Wensleydale and a dip into Darlington, plus the two breweries of Masham, then it was over to Headingley with Mr B to see Warwickshire demolish the home side with an innings victory whilst the likes of Harrogate, Leeds and Ilkley kept us occupied in between the sporting action - even now I still get cravings for a Betty's Yorkshire Curd Tart!

September: the second major rally weekend of the year and this time the weather is kinder as I join Woody and Rog for a few days in Torquay, Mr Wood claiming the comedy moment of the year when a rogue tree interrupted his D9 demonstration on the Totnes open-topper (it wasn't just the hair moving quickly on that occasion). The Severn Valley Railway was the setting for the Bridgnorth Beer Festival (with a morning weave around Worfield), and the Hub Marketing Board tackled Telford in style with a glorious day down by the Ironbridge Gorge.

October: autumnal offerings here include... a Nickolenko visit to Oldbury and Blackheath (sampling the local fayre in the Waterfall with seriously chunky chips); a D9 half-day where Andy and I called at Codsall before a whistle-stop wriggle around Whitmore Reans and Wednesfield; the Chip Foundation's Birmingham Bash where the Bull in the Gun Quarter was one of 2011's finest pub discoveries; and finally a visit to the Birmingham Beer Festival that was bookended by a tantalising morning trail around Tipton and some memorable chip-munching exploits in Stirchley during which Nick managed to damage his prized lunchbox.

November: further Chip Foundation exploits involved a return visit to Darlaston (Nick revealing an alarming obsession with baubles) followed by a successful strike on Pattingham (the Crown seemed to open up especially for us). The D9 was cranked into gear for a run-out around Brownhills and Chasetown (a day that marked the Hub carrier bag's last stand), and there was the delight of the Dudley Winter Ales Fayre with tipples including Batham's XXX and Banks's Barley Gold. My solo tour of Coombeswood and Cradley Heath maintained the Black Country flavour with segments of Leasowes Park and the Dudley No. 2 Canal.

December: squeezing in at the death, my annual visit to Coventry was as spectacular as ever with Whitefriars Olde Alehouse proving a star find - it was also great to track down the Brandon speedway stadium and have a closer look around Cheylesmore. Nick and I sampled more winter ales courtesy of the Pie Factory, Park Inn and the Beacon, rounded off with some jazz at the Trumpet (our adopted Wednesday evening home), and last but not least was the festive fun of that D9 classic taking in Moseley, Ladywood and Smethwick with closets and ales galore. Superb!

Well what can I say after all of that? It really has been a fantastic year and my thanks go to everyone who was involved - Rog, Woody, Andy, Nick and Stephen plus the various other characters we met along the way. It's been a year of beer festivals, Wednesday Nickolenkos, classic cricket, bald spot baiting and above all some vintage moments of exploration discovery - can 2012 maintain such dizzying heights? I can't wait to find out...

Moseley, Ladywood and Smethwick

2011-12-24T11:32:00.009Z

The herald angels are singing and the halls are being decked with boughs of holly so this can only mean one thing - yes it's Christmas, and time for a festive meeting of the Hub Marketing Board. Monday 19th December therefore saw Mr D9 Andy and myself avoiding the panic buying mayhem with a good old tour in and around Birmingham...

- Aston Locks -

ASTON: We had originally aimed to commence proceedings at 9:30 but Andy got waylaid by hub matters elsewhere, leaving me free for a spot of bonus exploring up Aston way. Heavy rain was predicted but luckily the weather held off long enough to allow for a canal walk, with me foolhardily tackling the treacherous icy towpath of the Birmingham & Fazeley from High Holborn Bridge to Rocky Lane. I hadn't done this stretch before so it was interesting to see more of Aston Locks including the cottages by Thimble Mill Lane.

- Allison Street, Digbeth -

SPARKBROOK: A turn-up-and-go 67 Bendibus is next on hand to deliver me safely into the centre of Birmingham where I say hello to the Tony Hancock Memorial at Old Square. Mr D9 summons me to New Street Station and with our party complete we set about filling in the remaining holes in our collection of vintage Birmingham toilet closets. One we had missed previously was on Allison Street just around the back of Moor Street Station, and with that duly photographed we continue down towards Camp Hill and along the Stratford Road. By now the rain has arrived with some ferocity but it doesn't deter us from a wander into Sparkbrook, an area I don't think I'd got to grips with before. Here the Shakespeare pub is a neat landmark as Andy investigates a potential former toilet block by the railway bridge.

- Cannon Hill Closet with Bald Spot in attendance -

BALSALL HEATH: We're covering all the glamorous areas today as a quick ride on the 8C Inner Circle connects us into Balsall Heath. Risking a drenching we explore the backstreets around St Paul's Road in search of more closet clues, then a soggy stroll along Edward Street brings us to the Cannon Hill Cubicle where Andy can't resist making use of the facilities. Both Balsall Heath and Sparkbrook looked to have some fascinating heritage buildings so they could be well worth returning to in drier conditions.

- Recovering in the Fighting Cocks -

MOSELEY: Having gritted our teeth through the deluge we were now in urgent need of some warmth and refreshment. The 35 took pity on us by arriving instantly for our link into Moseley, and then it was time to try some pubs. The Elizabeth of York Wetherspoon's got us off to a dry start, but I particularly liked the period features of the Fighting Cocks (complete with clock tower) and the cosy ambience of the Prince of Wales. A brief ride on the 50 also meant we could squeeze in the Merry Maid, just to ensure we were properly back up to temperature of course!

- The Vine, Ladywood -

LADYWOOD: The sequence of Birmingham's inner districts had been serving us well so far so we added further to the list with a visit to Ladywood. The 8C is again on hand to take us to Five Ways where Andy points out the former Crusader pub in the grotty Edgbaston Shopping Centre. Weaving via subways we find our way to Ruston Street, home to the Vine, our best pub find of the day. Whilst much of the old Ladywood area had been swept away, here was a real survivor linking back to the past, a proper old-fashioned backstreet boozer complete with a heartwarming pint of Santa's Claws from the Beartown Brewery - the beer tasted as if it had had some candy cane melted into it for extra spicy sweetness. Freshly fortified we complete our Ladywood sweep with views of the Ivy Bush, Perrotts Folly, the Bricklayers Arms and a recce around the reservoir - Andy even got chance to pay homage to the former Carlyle Road works site where his favourite D9 buses were once manufactured.

- Investigating the site of the Carlyle Rd D9 works -

CAPE HILL: We decide to conclude our festive frivolities amongst the familiar D9-trip haunts of Cape Hill and Smethwick. Andy has a couple more pubs up his sleeve - the Old Windmill opposite the City Hospital was one I knew about, but the Cross Keys down by Spring Hill caught me completely by surprise, full marks Mr Lunn for that one. It's Andy's turn for a shock in the Robin though when he recognises one of the barstaff and makes himself scarce rather sharpish whilst I hand over the beer money!

- The Old Windmill, with Frosty the Snowman! -

SMETHWICK: And finally... as it's Christmas we push the boat out a little with a final flourish thanks to the Hono Bar, the Queens Arms and the Old Corner House. Andy's surveillance mission with the Queens Arms finally paid off as it's a pub he's wanted to visit for months and had only recently re-opened, whilst the Old Corner House was also back in business after a prolonged spell of closure - it's great that we can now say we've tried them out. With that we bring the trip and the year to a close in excellent style, and we look forward to seeing what adventures 2012 might bring...

- Cheers to a Merry Christmas! -

Coventry 2011

2011-12-11T11:33:00.005Z

It's getting rather late in the year now and my aim is to fill in any remaining gaps in my exploration coverage for 2011. One such hole was Coventry, so on Friday 9th December off I trooped to the city of Godiva...

STARTERS: Feeling in an energetic mood, I arrived at Coventry Station at 9:19 and embarked on a gradual stroll through the City Centre and out towards Gosford Green. Initial photo targets included Station Square and the distinct round features of the Indoor Market, whilst Earl Street was busy with students heading for the many prominent University buildings. Gosford Street offered an interesting find (more about that later), and then Far Gosford Street had a mixture of shopping architecture culminating in a Christmas tree opposite Lloyds Bank.

- Gosford Green -

GOSFORD GREEN: I've now arrived at Gosford Green, a neat area of open space at the busy junction of Binley Road, Walsgrave Road and Sky Blue Way. I enjoy getting some shots of the leafless trees, the bare branches reaching hungrily out into the bright wintry sunlight. Further along Walsgrave Road is the community of Stoke where a landmark Carnegie branch library sits on the corner of Kingsway - I love old library buildings like this!

- Site of the pitch at Highfield Road -

HIGHFIELD ROAD: Buoyed by my discoveries so far, I now pick up the trail of the old Coventry City FC ground by venturing into parts of Hillfields. It had been a few years since the club had moved to the Ricoh Arena and I knew the old site had been redeveloped, but I was still interested to see if there was any legacy of one of the historic homes of Midlands football. Approaching along Swan Lane I can see the new housing that now occupies the spot, but my efforts are rewarded when Thackhall Street leads me to Signet Square, at the heart of which is a playing field that ensures local youngsters can still play football where Sky Blues legends did in years gone by. The rest of the immediate area comprises a lot of terraced housing and you can imagine the rooftops echoing to goal celebrations past. I continue my local investigations and turn up some pub photos including the Binley Oak and Brewer & Baker followed by the Old Ball Hotel back on the main Walsgrave Road.

- 27 at Walsgrave Hospital -

WALSGRAVE HOSPITAL: Time for a bus ride and the 27 is on hand to weave its way to Walsgrave Hospital via Stoke Hill and Belgrave Road. The last time I visited the hospital (back in 2004) it was a bit of a dump with monotonous ugly department blocks that were all too depressing. Fast forward a few years and the place has been transformed into a modern health complex that looks seriously impressive. Even better (for me at least), the hospital comes complete with its own bus interchange located by the main entrance, a cracking little photography location where a variety of National Express Coventry and Travel de Courcey routes drop by.

- Coventry Stadium, Brandon -

BINLEY WOODS and BRANDON: One of those routes was the 3 which provided a handy quick connection down to the Morrisons at Binley so that I could tiptoe into Warwickshire for a while. Binley Woods has featured in explorations before now thanks to the hunt for Hyacinth Bucket's bungalow, but today I was searching for the local library as I'd heard the branch was being threatened with closure due to Warwickshire County Council's need to make cutbacks. True to form I wandered off in the wrong direction, struggling to locate the library although I did find the shops on Woodlands Road and the village green with war memorial on Craven Avenue. Before I knew it I'd crossed into Brandon, which came with the bonus discovery of the Coventry Stadium, home to greyhound and speedway races - my second sporting location of the day. Back in Binley Woods I eventually do find the library on Monks Road (mission completed!) before adding in photos of the Roseycombe pub and the village hall.

- Whitefriars Olde Alehouse -

WHITEFRIARS: Retracing my steps back to Morrisons, the 86 bus arrives on cue for my link back to Gosford Green. My next stroll then takes me past the Gulson Hospital to find the remains of Whitefriars, historic fragments of friary now incongruously sited next to concrete flyovers and grotty underpasses (that's 1960's town planning for you). The monastic theme continues as I reckon I've earned myself a pint, hence it's back to my earlier Gosford Street discovery: Whitefriars Olde Alehouse. In previous blogs I've praised the Olde Windmill on Spon Street in Coventry as an example of a pub with a bit of the medieval about it, and here we have another contender. There's plenty of olde worlde charm to be found inside (beams, roof supports, wonky walls and dark pannelling) but what impressed me most was the warm welcome and the wide range of real ales. I'm spoilt for choice until I spot the XXXmas Ale from Byatt's, a winter pint from a new Coventry brewery - perfect!

- Cheylesmore Shops -

CHEYLESMORE: The pub was so cosy and friendly it was very hard to leave, and I time my exit just right to rush headlong into a vicious hailstorm. I nearly abandoned the outing there and then but the skies cleared and I was free to continue to the day's final port of call. Cheylesmore is a large Coventry suburb that features some elegant 1930's shopping parades either side of Daventry Road, not to mention the open spaces around Quinton Pool where the Canada geese seem to be stalking me. Further photo potential comes from the Social Club and the Baptist Church, great to put some markers down and add to my local knowledge. Tour completed, it's getting on for 3pm so I make my way back to Coventry Station and catch my train home, reflecting on a special day that followed in the worthy footsteps of my other classic Coventry adventures.

WME Flickr Focus: November 2011

2011-12-01T09:19:00.003Z

Calculators at the ready! It's time for your monthly maths report, totting up the totals of the latest arrivals on the West Midlands Exploration Flickr photostream...

November 2011 was a month with a little bit of everything. 71 images were slotted back into position as all of my collections got a photo-boost one way or another. Leading the way was WME Wolverhampton where the first additions for a good few months included a pretty wintertime shot of Bushbury Church, some more bridges for the Shropshire Union Canal and assorted views of the Flying Dutchman at Warstones and park flowerbeds at Wednesfield. Also springing back to life a little was WME Walsall where you can now find pictures of Pool Hayes Bridge (Wyrley & Essington Canal) and Arriva operating the 319 bus route in Bloxwich.

Elsewhere progress has been steady enough. WME Birmingham crept forward with a Northfield delegation representing both the railway station (trains, underpass and general station shots) and the wider area (the Great Stone pub and the local library both appear). WME Dudley took on board a motley selection covering Quarry Bank (the former Sun Inn pub), Wordsley (shopping parade at Wordsley Green) and the steps leading down to Lye Station, whilst WME Sandwell has been topped up with the likes of Smethwick Rolfe Street (platform and booking hall views), Tipton (war memorial and the former Boscobel pub) and the welcome return of Smethwick West. Even WME Coventry has inched along with assistance from Canley and Tile Hill railway stations, not forgetting the Herald pub.

Here then is the state of the stats with one month of 2011 still to go;

WME Wolverhampton: Target 435 > 358 in place > 77 remaining

WME Walsall: Target 208 > 163 in place > 45 remaining

WME Birmingham: Target 330 > 102 in place > 228 remaining

WME Dudley: Target 262 > 32 in place > 230 remaining

WME Sandwell: Target 180 > 22 in place > 158 remaining

WME Coventry: Target 80 > 6 in place > 74 remaining

Conclusion? Lots of hard work ahead in December and continuing into 2012...

Coombeswood to Cradley Heath

2011-11-20T11:51:00.012Z

Back in the early part of last year I put a free Saturday to good use with a local walk discovering the various communities of Cradley, an outing that sampled the very essence of the Black Country. Fast forward to Saturday 19th November 2011 and with a few hours going spare I decided to embark upon a similar theme. The result was a wander from Rowley Regis to Cradley Heath that included a bit of canal exploration for good measure...

* We pick up the tale at Smethwick Galton Bridge where my connection to Rowley Regis is provided by one of the new fleet of Class 172 trains now operating on the Stourbridge Line. I must admit I had quite a soft spot for the old Class 150 Sprinters that previously worked the route but the Class 172s are undoubtedly a big improvement with a modern train interior, scrolling displays, automatic voiceover announcements and a much smoother ride quality.

* Alighting at Rowley I head straight down Nimmings Road for a quick photo of the Clock pub, a distinctive landmark on the corner of Masters Lane. Crossing Long Lane I venture around the Olive Lane estate, an area I first encountered years ago on the old 610 Travel Merry Hill minibus route. Features here include the Victoria pub and Olive Hill Primary School before I renew my acquaintance with Long Lane Library.

* Quinton is an area effectively split into two, half in Birmingham and half in Dudley. The latter portion gets my attention today with the Stag & Three Horseshoes especially prominent overlooking the busy A458 roundabout. There are plenty of local shops here along with a Suzuki StreetBike dealership and the Lapal scout base.

* Wandering along Kent Road I branch off down an intriguing track which leads me into Leasowes Park, a pleasingly natural area of open space that comprises woodland, pools and the Halesowen Golf Club. A little clearing provides a nice spot for a well-earned lunch and then I enjoy following the streams of High Cascade and admiring the autumnal colours with an emphasis on deep shades of burnished orange.

* Emerging by the warden centre I happen across the remains of the Dudley No. 2 Canal. The Lapal Canal Trust are working to bring about the restoration of the waterway, which once continued beyond it's current Hawne Basin terminus to go through the Lapal Tunnel and onwards to Weoley Castle and Selly Oak. The section flanking the park is partly in water and links through to Manor Way but reaches a dead end at Mucklow Hill.

* Having found the disconnected part of the canal, I'm now keen to track down the section that is still part of the current waterways network. I pick up the trail down the side of the Mucklow Hill Trading Estate thanks to a somewhat overgrown public footpath that provides tantalising glimpses of Hawne Basin. I join the towpath proper at Coombes Bridge and then continue amongst industrial surroundings to find the south-eastern portal of Gorsty Hill Tunnel.

* There is no foot access through the tunnel so I have to go the overground route, climbing up a gravel drive and then a set of steps to resurface in Coombeswood opposite the Lighthouse, a Brains pub I remember once visiting with Roger. Station Road has a curious tunnel airshaft structure that Andy pointed out to me earlier this year, and I can also get photos of the Boat pub as I descend towards Old Hill.

* Old Hill Station is next for some exploration treatment as I linger a while hoping for a bonus Class 172 photo. The 14:06 to Stratford happily obliges and I can then continue down more of Station Road (past the Horseshoe and the Crown) before spotting a chapel being demolished on Halesowen Road. Old Hill is a place I haven't got many pictures of so I set about putting that right with shots of the Spring Meadow and Riddins Tavern pubs, the latter being hidden away somewhat behind the local primary school off Lawrence Lane.

* The final leg of my walk takes me into Cradley Heath where I'm pleased to get a shot of the town's Carnegie library, a fascinating building that first opened in 1909. Further down the High Street is St Luke's Church followed by the new(ish) Tesco supermarket that has really transformed the centre here. Saying that, it's good to see that a number of independent shops appear to be surviving here and a real sense of community is still very much in evidence as people are very happy to stop and chat in the street. Cradley Heath Station beckons with the promise of more Class 172 action, and with the 14:56 departure I set off for home delighted with my latest slice of Black Country memories.

The D9 does Walsall...

2011-11-15T21:29:00.004Z

Friday 11th November and the latest round of hub happenings saw Andy and myself undergoing a Walsall workout complete with a minor incursion across into Staffordshire...

TAME BRIDGE: The morning saw me battling railway chaos as a signalling meltdown near Wolverhampton created delays and displacement across the local network. In truth I was probably one of the luckier passengers in that I wasn't in any kind of hurry and the trains didn't fall too badly, eventually delivering me to Tame Bridge Parkway so that I could have a brief walk along the Tame Valley Canal and a mooch into Charlemont Farm. I then enjoyed a blast-from-the-past ride on the 405, a route I hadn't been on in years that gave me food for thought in terms of exploring Yew Tree, Bescot and Palfrey in future.

- Tame Bridge Station -

CALDMORE: Meeting Andy at Bradford Place we decide to start our tour in Caldmore courtesy of a mercifully short ride on the 404 as I try to avoid the D9 power steering. The Crown and Anchor has sadly closed but we can try the White Lion, sitting towards the 'shallow end' of the bar with our halves of Adnam's Southwold Bitter as the 'Hi-Viz Hub' is christened. Further up Sandwell Street is the Dog & Partridge, curiously dark as if trying to save on the leccie bills.

- The Hi-Viz Hub - you have been warned! -

CHUCKERY: The backstreet tour continues down into the Chuckery as we encounter the Duke of York on Lumley Road and a novelty "Gone to Mosque" sign in a barbershop window (makes a change from 'Closed for Lunch'). We pass the old Crabtrees factory site to sample the Spring Cottage on Paddock Lane, a decent find with a bit of character. It's then over to Mr Lunn Esq to direct some arboretum orienteering trying to find old toilet blocks and Bundy clocks - the flagship park is partway through a major restoration programme which should hopefully return the facility to its former glory.

- Military Memorabilia in the Junction -

CHASETOWN: Did I mention Staffordshire earlier? A well-placed and packed out 10 is on hand to take us further afield with a trundle up through Shelfield, Brownhills and Ogley Hay. We were half tempted to try Burntwood but didn't quite judge the bus stop correctly, hence ending up further round the terminal loop than originally anticipated. Andy's creaking bladder necessitates some marathon training down Chasetown High Street where his concerns are alleviated by the Crown. Now we're here we might as well make the most of it so the Junction and the Uxbridge Arms are included for good measure; the Uxbridge served a cracking pint of Newark Castle Brown Ale (a not-too-disguised play on words from the Springhead Brewery) but the Junction had the edge for a fascinating military corner with army chests and forces helmets, a highly appropriate setting for Armistice Day.

- A suitably sized steering wheel in the Swan -

BROWNHILLS: A quick link back on the 10 returns us to Brownhills where the Swan is high on the agenda, the pub having recently reopened and boasting some Holden's Golden Glow. A wait between buses gives a window of opportunity to squeak in the Shoulder of Mutton, and we finish off the afternoon in Walsall with a final half in the shadow of the new Tesco supermarket.

Happy Hubs!

WME Flickr Focus: October 2011

2011-11-01T18:42:00.005Z

Time drifts relentlessly on as I find myself assessing October's contribution to the WME cause, whereby exactly 50 photos were released onto my Flickr photostream. Let's see what that half century of images had in store for us...

As with September my primary focus was on building up my Second City selections as Birmingham took most of the limelight. Re-emerging this time were the likes of Acocks Green Station, Cannon Hill Park and a bit more content from Bartley Green (including a few bus shots). My Brum collection now spans 29 sets and is now starting to take some of the shape that the old Fotopic gallery had - as ever though there is always a long way to go.

Elsewhere, Dudley was next in line for a bit of attention as I added a very slight but much-needed dose of flesh to the initial bare bones that had poked through thus far. WME Dudley therefore now comprises 11 sets and 22 photos - still borderline skeletal it has to be said but Brierley Hill, Oldswinford, Coseley Station and Sedgley at least gives me something to work with.

If Dudley is a toddler trying to find its feet then Sandwell and Coventry have only just made it out of the womb. Great Bridge (the Limerick pub as was) and Princes End (the shopping precinct and the former Lagoon) gives Sandwell 4 starter pictures, whilst Coventry is off the mark with a solitary shot of a Tile Hill flower shop. This is all rather embryonic at the moment and will require some nurturing and parenting skills as I try to manage my expanding brood. Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell and Coventry should all be receiving some affection heading into November whilst behind the scenes Solihull and Staffordshire are aiming to become the next additions to the family...

Birmingham with The Chip Foundation

2011-10-27T20:08:00.005Z

With the English county cricket season having entered hibernation for another year, the Chip Foundation turned its attention back towards a winter itinerary - yes it was time to resurrect our pubcrawl series, starting on Wednesday 26th October with a browse around Brum...

ASTON: We get underway with a train to Perry Barr, meaning some memory lane moments for Nick and Stephen as we call in on the old UCE campus (now home to Birmingham City University) and indulge in a nostalgic stroll along Franchise Street. A 51 connection then links us to our first pub, and what a treat we have in store straight off. The Barton's Arms was affected by the recent riots in Newtown but I'm delighted to say that the building looked as splendid as ever today, complete with clocktower and the renowned heritage interior that features colourful glazed tiles, a grand staircase and engraved windows. It really is a sight to behold and makes for a spectacular setting in which to sample some Oakham Ales, my tipple being a half of Inferno.

- Chesty precautions in the Bartons Arms -

GOSTA GREEN: From one academic location to another as a further 51 ride brings us swiftly to the Aston University campus at Gosta Green. There seems to be a lot of construction work taking place in the area as part of the wider redevelopment of Eastside, and we enjoy soaking up the scene as we munch some chips outside the Business School - Nickolenko even went all exotic with a piece of masala fish! The campus is served by two pubs and it's the Sacks of Potatoes that secures our custom, lured in by the prospect of some Farmer's Blonde from the Bradfield Brewery near Sheffield.

- The Sacks of Potatoes -

GUN QUARTER: An encounter with the subways of Lancaster Circus leads us neatly into the historic Gun Quarter, a proud centre for the production of firearms, a trade which still continues here to this day (albeit on a smaller scale). The Bull on Price Street is our reason for stopping by though, sampling a very homely pub adorned with shelves of ceramics that must be an absolute nightmare when it comes to dusting. Aside from the jugs, plates and ornaments, a cat looked very cosy snoozing on a sofa in the snug and there's more Sheffield beer in the form of the Abbeydale Brewery's Contraption.

- The Bull: Perky in the Parlour? -

HIGHGATE: The light is beginning to fade as we cross the City Centre (with a helping hand from the 58 bus) and enter Highgate. The Lamp Tavern is a perennial favourite of mine as an example of a compact, backstreet local with a long-serving landlord (Eddie). Its a tight squeeze to get in this time but we find some standing room in the back corridor and I can enjoy my Aston Mild whilst Nick tackles the 'Stan the Man' Stanney Bitter. Stephen for his part is stoically getting through the lemonade and blackcurrants, possibly as a form of cough relief.

- Cheers from the White Swan -

DIGBETH: Darkness has definitely descended as we navigate the backstreets of Digbeth accompanied by a cacophony of Diwali fireworks. Two final pubs complete the evening as we soon realise why the Lamp had been so busy. Our next port of call, the Spotted Dog, is absolutely stuffed solid with Bluenoses as we belatedly realise that it's a Birmingham City home matchnight. The pre-match anticipation added an extra crackle to the friendly atmosphere whilst the Uisce Madra ale was another discovery - brewed especially for the pub, the name apparently translates as 'dog water'. We finish off at the White Swan, an impressively ornate Banks's pub that boasts some decorative tilework all of its own. We even get to watch some of the Wolves v Man City Carling Cup match before leaving for our train home safe in the knowledge that our wintertime exploits had got off to a riproaring start.

A Mini D9 Adventure

2011-10-18T18:41:00.003Z

Friday 14th October involved a shortened session of the Hub Marketing Board as the Chairman joined the Secretary for an afternoon around and about Wolverhampton...

Route 5: The meeting begins with a ride out to Codsall on the 5, formerly the 535 prior to the Wolverhampton Network Review. The revised service includes more coverage for Bilbrook so the Chairman has to do a bit of D9 route-learning as he tackles Duck Lane...

CODSALL: The board then sampled two of the village hostelries, the Station and the Bull. The Station is a Holden's pub contained in Codsall's former railway house, hence it displays various rail-related artefacts as well as offering a smooth swig of Septimus Sid. Banks's is the order of the day in the Bull so its a pint of Bitter just as the Chairman used to drink in days when he had hair.

- Banks's Bitter in the Bull -

WHITMORE REANS: We don't have to linger long at the Codsall hub before the return 5 arrives to collect us. We alight at Peace Green where the Chairman indulges in a spot of cowboy walking, either that or his rebellious bladder is giving him some grief again. Luckily it's not far to the Stile, a proper Victorian backstreet boozer where we partake of some Wicked Witch whilst admiring the L-shaped bowling green.

- The Stile, corner of Harrow Street and Fawdry Street -

CHAPEL ASH: Members vote unanimously to extend our agenda to include the Chapel Ash area, allowing us to clock in with a couple of halves. The Chindit has a compact feel as befits it being converted from an off licence back in the late 1950's, whilst the Clarendon effectively serves as a showcase tap for Banks's with the beer being brewed a matter of yards away.

- Cheerful in the Chindit -

WEDNESFIELD: To complete proceedings, members are transported to Wednesfield to indulge in the 1930's ambience of the Vine followed by the cottagey cosiness of the Pyle Cock. It is here that the Chairman receives his collection call and the meeting is adjourned after a closing Boondoggle. A successful afternoon indeed.

- The Chairman gets his summons -

WME Flickr Focus: September 2011

2011-10-06T20:55:00.002Z

My monthly reflections are an indication of the passing of another year and as we tumble into autumn it's time to look back and see what happened on WME in September...

Perhaps I should have mentioned August too being as my last digest was for July, but the bare fact is that absolutely nothing happened at all in August, the site put distinctly on the back burner whilst I enjoyed a brace of Yorkshire breaks. September it is then as I picked up the reins with a few scattered updates that eventually amounted to 43 additions to bring my running total for my photostream to 562 pictures.

Having mainly concentrated on Wolverhampton and Walsall thus far, it was now the turn of Birmingham to get most of my attention. Of those 43 additions, 36 had a Brum connection as some of my local and railway sets began to take shape again. Amongst the influx were representatives of Weoley Castle (the market hall), West Heath (the shed-like library), Old Oscott (the Kingfisher pub) and Hall Green (the Maggies). Rail was restored with offerings from Spring Road and Kings Norton Stations whilst some Tame Valley shots made for a canal contribution and the 104 route at Sutton Coldfield was returned to it's rightful position as one of my seminal early bus pictures.

Away from Birmingham it was Dudley that made up the rest of September's numbers, an initial 7 photos being released back into the public glare. This is very much a token effort so far but there are showings for Woodsetton and Wollaston alongside one of my regular Lower Gornal Post Office examples and a snap of the old 544 at Coseley. It goes without saying that there is an enormous amount of work still to do to get the photostream where I want it to be, and that's even before I can think about adding some new stuff that never appeared on the old Fotopic. I am currently uploading what I can salvage of my previous WME Sandwell photos as a background task, and I hope to be resurrecting more Birmingham and Dudley content over the coming weeks.

Hub Marketing Board: Telford

2011-10-01T15:25:00.006Z

Friday 30th September and the latest meeting of the Hub Marketing Board involved a scrutiny away-day in Shropshire assessing the hub capabilities around and about Telford…

The meeting time was set for 9:30 but the Chairman endured Metro delays and a coronary-inducing sprint down to Wolverhampton Station only to be told that the Secretary had made a complete horlicks of the train times.

After a plan reshuffle we regroup onto the 10:25 service to Oakengates, admiring the Shropshire countryside and stations such as Albrighton, Shifnal and Cosford.

Arrival at Oakengates is now at 10:54 and we make it to the ‘hub’ bus station just in time to see our 55 connection disappearing into the distance. The Chairman does at least track down a closet for his collection whilst we await the next Green Line service.

That subsequent 55 is on hand at 11:20 for a ride through Trench, Wombridge and Donnington. More rehashing is needed so the proposed call at the Hadley hub is aborted but can remain up the Secretary’s sleeve for future reference.

- Getting cocky with a Blonde -

Now in need of some urgent liquid refreshment, we alight outside the Cock Hotel in Wellington. The Chairman’s presence must’ve been detected as the door creaks open right on cue with Joules’ Blonde being the preferred tipple. You may notice the Cock figurine inspecting the Chairman’s bald spot!

Suitably quenched it is time to test out the robustness of some thick blue lines with the 44 route providing our link back into Telford via Ketley and Oakengates. The service was popular and might just make enough of a big fat profit to negate the need to save a bus.

A very robust interchange at Telford connects us smoothly onto the 12:50 88 which introduces us to Dawley Bank before braving the narrow lanes of Little Dawley and Doseley to drop us off in Horsehay.

- Horsehay, All Labour in Vain -

Horsehay is a personal favourite of our esteemed Secretary who soon set to work taking photos of the derelict All Labour in Vain pub. The Foresters Arms is very much still going so we are treated to a Tribute amongst the ceramic jug collection. Lunch is provided courtesy of the CodFather as we enjoy the scenery of Horsehay Pool and a quick peek at the Telford Steam Railway.

Testing timetables is a core feature of hub scrutineering and the 77 at 14:09 passed with flying colours, collecting us promptly from Horsehay Crossroads and embarking on a well-paced jaunt through Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge and Madeley.

- On with the suntan lotion -

The afternoon itinerary involves a roam around Coalport, Jackfield and Ironbridge. Our Chairman makes the requisite call back to base and we thereby receive clearance to enter the All Nations, a classic Shropshire home brew house hidden away off Coalport Road. Some Dabley Ale is much appreciated as we commandeer a table in the beer garden so that the Chairman can apply some sunblock.

A rummage along the Silkin Way reveals the Great Hay Incline, an engineering solution that enabled boats to be transported up and down a slope between two sections of the local canal. We enjoy a look around Coalport village where the Chairman attracts the attention of a chihuahua down by the Tar Tunnels.

- The Chairman makes a new friend -

Across the river from Coalport is the village of Jackfield where the Boat pub has markers on the door pinpointing flood levels from years gone by. There’s no sign of any flooding today thankfully as we make use of another sunkissed beer garden.

We pass Maws Craft Centre and the Tile Museum to make our way towards Jackfield Bridge with old letter boxes, telephone kiosks and a couple of pubs catching our eye – the Black Swan and the Robin Hood.

- An old-fashioned bald spot photo -

In an example of being anything but TUAG, the 99 threatens to derail proceedings by keeping us waiting well after the scheduled 16:50 departure time – in the end we were just happy to see the bus at all but some more plan-juggling is required in order to squeeze in our desired conclusion back in Oakengates.

Matters are completed with a trinity of tightly positioned taverns on Market Street. The Crown is holding a beer festival where the Secretary goes all Dark & Dangerous, the Station involves a near head-on collision with 'Elvis' and the Fighting Cocks stoutly brings the curtain down. 19:05 provides the return train to Wolverhampton and the meeting is adjourned at 1930 hours. The sun definitely shone on Telford today!

- Cheers! -

Bridgnorth Beer Festival

2011-09-17T20:16:00.004Z

Friday 16th September: Real ale and steam trains prove an irresistable combination tempting me to Shropshire in September...

The day begins on the 890 bus and a ride up to Worfield, a beguiling English village with several picture postcard type scenes to keep the camera occupied. I was already familiar with the Wheel Inn (not much sign of life sadly) and the garage on the main A454 road, but half a mile down a narrow lane is the village centre proper complete with memorial green, several old cottages, the parish church (St Peter's) and a cosy-looking pub (the Dog and Davenport).

From the church I climb the hill up to Hallon where I spot the local cricket club and linger a while waiting for the 114 route, operated by Arriva with an Optare Solo in Shropshire Council livery. The bus quickly delivers me to Bridgnorth town with a little jaunt down Hermitage Hill, giving me just enough time to reflect on how Worfield had made an excellent first impression and I'm already keen to return.

- Worfield Church -

To ale-related matters then, and after my customary bus and pub photos around High Town I make my way to the Severn Valley Railway Station, host venue to the 17th Bridgnorth Beer Festival. The station is always an atmospheric delight to visit but the presence of the CAMRA beer tent certainly added an extra notch or two to the expectation-o-meter. £8 covers the commemorative glass, programme and a clutch of beer tokens then it's time to get tasting the beer.

Flavoured ales seemed to be the order of the day where I was concerned so I launched straight into a third of Abbey Ales' Chocolate and Orange Stout - I'm sure Nickolenko would have approved of this choice and the orange came through very powerfully. Next was Sawbridgworth's Mead Mild followed by some Milestone Raspberry Wheatbeer and then came my favourite tipple, Titanic's Plum Porter with it's distinct fruity aroma and a taste that was faintly reminiscent of cough medicine but in a good way!

The festival visit was also punctuated by the presence of the steam trains and it was wonderful to sit on the platforms, glass in hand watching the train crew attending to their magnificent engines. I also squeezed in a peek inside the Railwayman's Arms, the station's on-site pub which boasts its own array of ales to match the proud collection of totem signs dotted around the walls. Feeling peckish I partake in a Reg May Pork Pie, just perfect with a dab of mustard, and then it's time for my final beer in the form of Three Tuns' Cleric's Cure.

- Bridgnorth Signal Box -

Ales supped, the camera was getting a bit restless so I wandered down into Low Town to continue my photographic pub survey. The bus stop outside the Fosters Arms was then handy for my 13:54 114 connection, and another 'Shropshire Bus' Solo whisked me off on a tour of little villages featuring Ackleton, Badger, Beckbury, Ryton and Kemberton - an absolute treat.

I alight in Shifnal and set about documenting another Shropshire town, calling into the White Hart in the process for a crafty taster of Ernest George from the Welbeck Abbey Brewery in Nottingham, a nutty brown bitter that was deep on the palate (I almost sound as if I know what I'm talking about). The 892 completes proceedings with my return bus ride to Wolverhampton and another Shropshire spectacular is over; needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed the day, especially as the forecast heavy rain stayed away, and my compliments go to Bridgnorth CAMRA and the Severn Valley Railway for their efforts in putting on the festival.

Grim up North? Anything but...

2011-08-30T20:34:00.003Z

The eagle-eyed amongst you may have detected a distinct lack of activity on both the WME Blog and my Flickr photostream recently. There is a simple explanation for this - I've been on holiday, enjoying a fortnight or so in Yorkshire beginning with a week-long stay in Richmond and concluding with some cricket at Headingley. Here's what I've been up to...

Saturday 13th August: The journey up to Richmond and a chance to settle in to our North Yorkshire base in a cosy cottage just outside the town centre. Richmond is a fascinating place with plenty of history provided by the medieval castle, rushing River Swale and a cobbledy marketplace.

Sunday 14th August: A relaxing morning in Richmond, sampling a home-cooked Sunday roast in the Talbot complete with a proper Yorkshire pudding. An afternoon walk takes us to the village of Hudswell where the George and Dragon pub offers local brews from Black Sheep and Daleside.

Monday 15th August: venturing out across moor and dale with a spectacular tour that takes in the remoteness of Reeth and the bleak beauty of Hawes. Leyburn offers traditional fish and chips (cooked with dripping no less) and we also squeeze in some cheese-tasting at the Wensleydale Creamery.

Tuesday 16th August: A damp morning gives way to a brighter afternoon so we decide to dip into Darlington. The town was far from being the drab industrial wasteland I'd wrongly anticipated and I thoroughly enjoyed getting photos of the market place, railway station and Feethams cricket ground.

Wednesday 17th August: delving deeper into the Dales with a stunning drive down to Grassington and Pateley Bridge. It's then over to Masham where we can sample the ales direct from the Black Sheep and Theakstons brewery taps - wonderful stuff!

Thursday 18th August: Northallerton beckons with it's long High Street and a chance for more railway photos. Back to Richmond for the afternoon as the Ship Inn on Frenchgate catches my eye for a swift half.

Friday 19th August: Up into County Durham with a visit to Barnard Castle, prominently placed as a gateway to Teesdale. Another traditional chip shop lunch is supplemented by the occasional bus photo on Galgate, then we call in at Gilling West where the White Swan is hosting a mini beer festival.

Monday 22nd August: After a couple of days back home restocking my suitcase, I join forces with Mr Beardsmore Esquire for the Yorkshire vs Warwickshire County Championship match at Headingley. We're actually staying in the Lodge at the ground, hence views of the pitch direct from the room. Once settled in we enjoy a genteel evening in Harrogate, admiring the pump rooms and bath house before taking to somewhat different waters in Hales Bar and the Coach & Horses.

Tuesday 23rd August: Play is underway at Headingley and a depleted Bears attack do a good job to dismiss Yorkshire for 297, Gary Ballance topscoring with 57 and giving us much pun ammunition. Our evening entertainment is provided by a wander into Kirkstall, a busy Leeds suburb on the main A65 road towards Ilkley.

Wednesday 24th August: A day of solid Warwickshire batting with Shivnarine Chanderpaul especially masterful to be 167 not out overnight. We sample the liveliness of Leeds this time around, with Whitelocks Luncheon Bar proving a delightful discovery, hidden away up an alleyway but purveying excellent real ales.

Thursday 25th August: Warwickshire manoeuvre themselves into a position of increasing dominance, Chanderpaul finishing with 193 and Keith Barker 85. This leaves Yorkshire facing a first innings deficit of 185 and they crumble either side of the tea interval; 127 all out and Warwickshire have won by an innings and 58 runs - what a result! We celebrate with a mooch around Headingley where the Arcadia Bar has a pleasant continental vibe despite being a shopfront in the Arndale Centre.

Friday 26th August: A spare day being as the cricket finished early, just as well we won given the weather we now have to contend with. We put the day to good use roving around Wakefield and Ilkley - I seem to be developing a taste for Yorkshire Curd Tarts from Bettys!

Saturday 27th August: Suddenly it's all over as we head to Leeds Station to catch the train home. Yorkshire has made a real impression on me these last two weeks with lovely scenery and warm hospitality - it just goes to prove that the old grim adage is complete and utter tosh.

The Hub Marketing Board

2011-08-06T21:05:00.007Z

Notice is hereby given that an extraordinary general meeting of the Hub Marketing Board will take place on Friday 5th August. The objective of this meeting will be to establish the pub-hub potential of West Bromwich and environs, hence a dedicated hub carrier bag should be collected in advance. Our esteemed chairman, Mr A. Lunn Esq will be in attendance with his D9 whilst our erstwhile secretary Mr WME will be taking notes at various intervals. Here is the agenda in full;

Members are cordially invited to meet at Smethwick Galton Bridge railway station just after 0900 hours (provided our chairman remembers that the 448 bus no longer calls outside the station). We shall then commence with a brief tour of Galton Bridge and the canal tunnels of Galton Valley.

- The Chairman models the hub carrier bag -

A short ride on the 87 bus will take our party to West Smethwick where we shall begin our investigations of Spon Lane, Chance Glassworks and Kenrick Park. If everything goes to schedule we may even be invited to examine the deeds of former pubs although this depends on whether Mr WME can raise the suspicions of passing motorists.

The main event of the morning will be a tour of the Birmingham Main Line Canal from Bromford Bridge to Dudley Port. This section is set to include Pudding Green and Albion Junctions whilst our chairman also plans on a surprise bit of ferreting around some bits of old railway and gasworks.

- The Chairman leads the way -

At Dudley Port efforts will be made to scrutinise the robustness of timetables on the 74 route – prepare to spot buses travelling in convoy. Our chairman takes no responsibility for the lack of the afore-mentioned 74 but does recommend a ride on the 644 by way of comparison.

The 644 should connect us to Harvills Hawthorn for early afternoon. There will be brief photocalls at the Miners Arms and the Beehive with canned refreshments being provided courtesy of the Hawthorn Tavern. We shall also be able to check on progress with the refurbishment of the Britannia and the closure of the local shops at St Vincent's Crescent.

Members are then requested to make their way towards Great Bridge with the suggested route being via the former Eagle Lane railway crossing. There will be a ceremonial burning of previous hub literature as the Wolverhampton Review gets what it deserves. Please note that flammable activities such as these should only take place within the controlled environment of the Walsall Canal towpath and that high-visibility bald spots should be worn at all times.

- A fitting end for the Wolverhampton Network Review -

Points of interest at Great Bridge will include a Twinings Tea advert on the side of the market followed by a trail along the old canal towards the Tame Bridge pub. This will be followed by a bonus visit to the Great Bridge Hub on Sheepwash Lane.

- The Great Bridge Hub -

We are scheduled to arrive at the Royal Oak on Whitehall Road at 1400 hours where there will be liquid refreshment within the surroundings of a West Bromwich Albion pub. Wolverhampton Wanderers supporters of a nervous disposition may best be advised to hide their wallets (contact Mr Mark Wood Esq for advice on how to do this).

We shall also be stopping at Ryders Green where members might like to partake in chips at the canal junction. The Eight Locks pub has made its patio available for our ‘Guess the Beer’ competition (Guinness, Worthington’s and Boddingtons can already be ruled out as potential answers).

- The Chairman sets a shining example at Ryders Green -

The programme then switches to Black Lake for a survey of the railway remains at Swan Lane. There will be the opportunity for recreational exercise if we have to run for the 428 bus. Our next call is due to be the Waggon and Horses at Hill Top where we are informed that French-style cartoons will be laid on for our entertainment.

- The Waggon & Horses -

Our esteemed chairman then plans to oversee a ramble through Hateley Heath during which we will view the former Menzies High School. There should be plenty of time to sample the old closet at Stone Cross as personally recommended by the said Mr Lunn Esq.

- Scrutiny of the Stone Cross closet -

The Evening Engagements Committee has been hard at work and have presented to us a shortlist of venues where we are expected to attend en route back to West Bromwich. These include the Royal Oak (the HPA hub), the Horse & Jockey (the Old Empire hub) and the Crown & Cushion (the Tribute hub).

- Hub Meeting at the Royal Oak -

Those with a delicate bladder disposition will be catered for by the closet at Dartmouth Park. Unfortunately due to dog-walking requirements, the Churchfield Tavern may have to lock its doors before we are able to gain entry although this will be noted in red ink in the next edition of the Board's minutes.

A short examination of West Bromwich land clearance zones will precede two late additions to this agenda. At the request of the Carters Green Sub-Committee (Clock Division) our attendance has been requested at both the Old Hop Pole and the Wheatsheaf.

- The Wheatsheaf, Carters Green -

The meeting shall conclude at 1900 hours although Wolverhampton-based members may choose to join the secretary for jazz at the Trumpet in Bilston. All members are strongly urged to ensure that full Hub Marketing regalia is worn throughout and that all bald spots are appropriately polished.

END

Keeping Up Acquaintances

2011-08-03T13:06:00.007Z

Saturday 30th July 2011: The WARP crew are reunited for more television trails, this time taking us across Coventry and Warwickshire way in search of Hyacinth Bucket…

An earlyish start has me on the 8:49 local train from Wolverhampton with Woody and Roger joining me at Smethwick Galton Bridge. At New Street I collect a Wolverhampton Review map (very useful for hitting Rog with but otherwise completely pointless) and then we spy the gleaming bald spot of Mr D9 awaiting us by the ticket barriers. A quick shuffle onto the platforms and we join the 9:30 Euston-bound train for the ride over to Coventry, Messrs Wood and Chance using the seating arrangements as an excuse to get in some early baldness photography.

Alighting at Coventry we find the 27 bus waiting for us so we sit at the back and take in a bit of Bendi action – I didn’t mind the ride myself but Andy seems to have turned green, I don’t think he’s a fan. Pool Meadow has Mr Wood on the prowl for more pictures and then we stroll up Trinity Street for further prey with the Bedworth buses proving particularly good targets.

The 86 was our chosen route to reach our first destination - Hyacinth Bucket’s bungalow from Keeping up Appearances - so we catch the Binley Woods circular down to Heather Road, spotting some future targets like the Roseycombe pub and the village hall, plus there’s a branch library around here somewhere. We alight in anticipation and track down the Bucket residence whilst trying not to look too conspicuous despite us all zooming shots from across the street. We resisted the temptation to see if the lady of the house was at home as we didn’t fancy any candlelit suppers and there was a worry that Mr Wood might get mistaken for son Sheridan.

- 86 at Binley Woods -

It’s but a short 86 hop to take us back up to Binley Morrisons where Andy eagerly makes use of the supermarket facilities whilst the rest of us lookout for the 4. Having safely negotiated Hyacinth’s pad we were now going to see how the other half of her family lived, hence venturing into Stoke Aldermoor in search of Onslow and Daisy. The 4 arrives promptly and provides some intriguing bus exploration all of its own – Princethorpe Way pubs and precincts followed by the Moorfield and Barley Lea.

Judging by the general appearance you can tell you’ve entered a slightly less salubrious neighbourhood, which is probably what attracted the show to the area in the first place. We’re on the lookout for Mitchell Close and with beady eyes we spot the bus stop and troop off. Number 3 was apparently the house used for the Onslow residence and it looks about right although I don’t remember Pinley Gardens being at the end of the road shown on the TV series. Nonetheless its an excellent find and to be fair the setting probably isn’t as bad as anticipated.

Back to the buses then as we wait for the 3A and try to avoid the glare of the bald spot. Whereas the 4 uses Terry Road, the 3A takes a more direct approach into Coventry although both routes emphasise the untapped photo potential still awaiting me in some areas of the city. Stoke Green (villagey open space) and the Humber pub stand out as the main landmarks, then it’s Sky Blue Way to avoid Far Gosford Street.

- Rog's BlackBerry nearly causes a domestic -

We set down at Pool Meadow and it’s time for lunch. This can only mean one thing of course… Wetherspoon’s. Coventry’s offering is The Flying Standard, a tall black and white beamed building up near the top of Trinity Street. The pub is arranged on a few levels with a main downstairs bar, an eating zone and an upstairs gallery area. The drinks are gathered and the food is ordered, gourmet burger as ever for me with some Grainstore Gold (brewed in Rutland) and Bateman’s Pink Wicket to provide the lubrication.

We have some spare moments to pay our respects at Coventry Cathedral, the haunting ruins giving a solemn backdrop to more attempts at a baldness shot. We then wait on Trinity Street for a late-running X18, which arrives in the form of a smart double decker Gemini where we commandeer the upstairs back seat. We leave Coventry via Whitley then slog it down the main road to Leamington before cruising past Leamington Station and through Myton spotting signs of the Warwick Folk Festival at St Nicholas Park. Into Warwick itself we enjoy fine views of the Castle then swoop round into the bus station.

- That's one way to hide the bald spot! -

It’s good to be back at Warwick so quickly, picking up on a bit of the knowledge gained from the Chip Foundation’s visit a few weeks ago. The town seems a lot busier today with a vibrant market taking place on the square and the added trade generated by the festival. We call into the museum to visit Bruce’s Big Brother (Rog seems to be on the hunt for old fossils again!) and then head up Barrack Lane for a look at the old prison cell where ne-er-do-wells might have been incarcerated in days gone by – shame we can’t resurrect the tradition for Roger today.

Knowing Mr Wood’s penchant for a cheap drink I lead the chaps round to The Punchbowl which was unsurprisingly popular on a sunny event weekend. Having sampled the Mild last time I decide to go for the Oakwell Senior, an excellent choice which was also appreciated by Mr D9. Our pints came to £1.95 each, cracking value for great beer although Andy's painful rendition of Delilah was worryingly traumatic.

We wend our way back to the bus station only to find that the G1 can’t call here at the moment because of roadworks in the town. Luckily the X17 arrives instead (with digital blinds for a curious W2 Town Centre route) so we can still make our Leamington connection, leading away towards the Cape then passing the Jolly Miller, Warwick Hospital and the Wild Boar.

- The Jug & Jester, Leamington -

Come Leamington we alight at the Parish Church bus stop and then skip straight over into the second Wetherspoons of the day, The Jug and Jester. I believe this is a fairly recent addition to the JDW portfolio and I rather like it, especially when I beat my fellow WARPs in getting served at the bar. The building as a whole looks very Georgian and elegant (very much in keeping with the Spa town architecture) and I’m pleased to sample a local pint, Darling Buds from the Warwickshire Brewing Company. Rog and I find some lounge chairs to recline in (very comfortable but with ridiculously high backs) whilst Woody gets tickled by one of the artificial plant collection – all good!

Across to the bus stop and we don’t have to wait long for the next X17 to whisk us back off towards Coventry. The route here took us through Kenilworth and enabled me to pick out various landmarks for future reference, including the Wyandotte Inn as recommended by Nick. The bus conveniently drops us off by Old Spon Street just handy for a swift pint in the Old Windmill - I hoped the WARP crew might enjoy the medieval vibe mixed with a bit of biker attitude and they seemed suitably impressed. We sit in the front corner room with the dark panels and the old fireplace and partake in Old Peculiers or Doom Bars.

- Bald spot spotted on the X17 -

Pool Meadow Stand R is where the 82 departs from at 18:16. Woody was hoping for a ride on the Signature fleet but it’s a boring Bus2Work Solo that arrives instead, boo hiss! We enjoy the journey regardless, safely negotiating the Park Hill estate then cruising through Meriden (pheromone memories) and Hampton-in-Arden. I was particularly keen to have another look at Catherine-de-Barnes but it didn’t really entice me that much, the Boat Inn would qualify as a gassy pub in D9 parlance.

- An aerial photo but not much up top -

Our stay at Solihull Station is brief but does allow for some sneaky shots of the 966 on layover and a train view up on the platforms. Then it’s all down to the 19:09 to deliver us homewards, saying goodbye to Andy at the Hawthorns before it’s my own farewell at Galton Bridge. Yet again it had been a fine old adventure and my thanks go to Woody, Roger and Andy for making it such a fun day out.

WME Flickr Focus: July 2011

2011-08-02T20:20:00.003Z

A quick calculation for you: 413 + 106 = 519, the number of photos I now have in place on my Flickr photostream as of the end of July. A decent month then by all accounts as it certainly isn't often that I manage to shift a century of images - lets dig deeper into the devilish details...

My photos are still entirely concentrated on the three collections, WMEs Wolverhampton, Walsall and Birmingham. Part of me wants to represent the wider spread of areas that were on my Fotopic galleries as soon as possible, but I am loathe to start spinning too many plates all at once. The current approach seems to be working in terms of getting stuff back online, but if you're hoping to see some of my old Shropshire, Warwickshire or Exploration Extra images it could be a very long wait.

WME Wolverhampton chimed in with 52 photos as its July contribution, not bad at all in leaving me with another 102 to resurrect. It was a particularly good month for Bradmore, Tettenhall and Northwood Park, all three local sets having now recovered the bulk of their initial contents. Of the missing 102 there are a good chunk of canal shots, bus photos and a few trains - I'm not sure whether absolutely everything will make the cut as I am having second thoughts about some of the older shots but we'll see how it goes.

WME Walsall hauled in a respectable 37 last month and now sits just 46 pictures adrift of the original 208 that were on Fotopic. Movers and shakers here included the appearance of Brownhills West plus Delves & Fullbrook along with general boosts for Darlaston, Rushall and the Walsall Canal. As with Wolverhampton, I have a feeling the last lump of photos will be the trickiest to get back online and there might be some that get filtered away into the recycling bin.

July was something of a breakthrough month for WME Birmingham as 17 photos resurfaced to push any Walsall content off the front page of my photostream. My running Brum total still only stands at 24 out of 330 though so plenty of work to do, but the inclusions of Hawkesley, Selly Oak, Cotteridge and Harborne are definite steps in the right direction - there's even been the occasional sighting of a canal shot such as Granville Street. Birmingham will be my primary focus over the next couple of months at least so expect to see more where that came from!

Featherstone and Shareshill

2011-07-23T20:23:00.005Z

Friday 22nd July: Exploration for me doesn't always have to be about blazing a trail across the West Midlands. Sometimes it's good to take things at a gentler pace, a case well proven by today's relaxing incursion into South Staffordshire. My aim was to call in on two villages (Featherstone and Shareshill) that I've never photographed before despite the fact they're only a few miles from where I live...

Moseley Old Hall: But first a slice of history, making my way up through Northwood Park and Northycote for my first ever look at Moseley Old Hall, a National Trust Property with Civil War links to Charles II. Given that the hall is virtually on my doorstep I'm rather ashamed that I'd never been there before, but at least I put that right this morning, weaving my way along the narrow lanes wondering what to expect. I first catch sight of the perimeter low brick wall and the cottage gardens before enjoying views of the historic home itself - it's a building with considerable charm to accompany its famed royal connections, and at some point I could well be tempted to have a proper look around when the house is open to visitors.

- Moseley Old Hall -

Featherstone: The tranquility of Moseley gives way to the murmur of the M54 motorway as I continue through to Featherstone. I've passed through many times on family drives or number 70 bus rides to Cannock so it was high time I gave the place some camera treatment. The village has expanded over the years to house commuters and its main shopping facilities are concentrated on The Avenue with the 'Select & Save' containing the local post office. Other notable features include Whitgreave Primary School (maintaining the name of the family who formerly owned Moseley Old Hall) and the Red, White and Blue pub. Featherstone was an interesting place to visit but didn't entirely capture my imagination - there was a lot of Cannock Road traffic and many of the buildings were quite modern.

- Shareshill Shop & Post Office -

Shareshill: A short walk up the main A460 brings me to Shareshill where there is more of the feel of a typical country village. Top photo targets here include the Elms pub and the Shareshill Post Office and Stores; both pub and shop have survived being threatened with closure quite recently, and the shop is now run by the local community and prides itself on personal service - I can certainly vouch for that having enjoyed a friendly conversation with the chap behind the counter. Mention must also go to the Church of St Mary and St Luke, a worthy landmark with a captivating old belltower (said to date from the 13th century) that is adjoined by a Georgian nave and a 21st century hall annexe. It doesn't look as cobbled together as it sounds!

The sense of escape was completed with a leisurely walk home, crossing public footpaths with ice cream in hand and then swatting flies along more narrow country lanes as I wove my way back through Featherstone and Brinsford. As a final treat I dropped in at Northycote Farm to see some of the farm animals - the lambs and ducks were cute, but I think the pigs stole the show for sheer laziness.

Now that's what I call having a gentle unwind!

Reviewing the Review

2011-07-22T13:08:00.007Z

It had to happen sooner or later. The rolling programme of Bus Network Reviews has finally fixed its beady eye upon Wolverhampton, and so in a couple of days time we will have a new series of bus routes to accompany the fanfare opening of the rebuilt bus station...

Ordinarily with these network reviews I tend to dedicate an outing to getting around and sampling the existing routes before the changes take place. I haven't really done that this time, mainly because with Wolverhampton they are my local buses which I use virtually on a daily basis, routes I have grown up with and photographed several times over the years. I have of course gathered a few farewell photos lately but we're talking more of a prolonged goodbye than a frantic final flurry. As you might expect, the proposed changes have generated some considerable debate locally, and here I will now offer my personal opinions about what is set to take place.

New Bus Station: Sunday 24th July will mark the grand opening of Wolverhampton's flagship new bus station, and I look forward to taking my first look at its state of the art passenger facilities. I must admit I wasn't entirely convinced about the need for a new bus station in the first place - I always felt that the railway station had a more urgent case for redevelopment - but the bus station got the go-ahead and it's been interesting to see the site being transformed over the last year or so. A lot of money has been spent and I really do hope it all proves worth it, although there are concerns I will need to be convinced about.

Headlines have been made by the revelation that a number of routes won't even use the facility, then there's the curious case of the new footbridge to the railway station, which is puzzlingly situated right next door to the existing bridge that itself is still remaining in place. I realise the intention is that the Metro will at some point use the older bridge but I do wonder if I'll be looking back in years to come and remarking that this new bridge just ended up being a pointless extravagance. Also, as a bus enthusiast I am fully expecting that the new bus station will follow the example of other Centro creations in being a photographic no-go zone, and similarly I would also query just how safe the place will prove to be given that Walsall Bus Station (another heralded project) is a deathtrap waiting to happen.

Service Renumbering: One feature of the Network Review is that many services will drop the '5' prefix that has designated Wolverhampton bus routes since de-regulation. I am a little undecided on this as I quite liked the way an area's routes were distinguished from each other (300s for Walsall, 400s for Sandwell, 500s for Wolverhampton etc) and there could be an element of confusion if the same route numbers overlap in places. Saying that, I don't think the general public necessarily care too much about what number is on the front of their bus as long as they have a service that takes them where they want to go. I tend to refer to my local routes (the 532 and 533) as the 32 and 33 anyway, and that's precisely what they will become from Sunday!

Cross City Services: Another key feature of the review is the establishment of Cross City routes connecting two points either side of Wolverhampton City Centre. These routes will become the bedrock of the new network, hence they are prominently numbered 1, 2 3 and 4. Wolverhampton's existing pattern of routes essentially involved various spokes radiating out from the centre, so perhaps the logical thing to do when looking to make changes was to join some of these spokes together. Quite whether the residents of Tettenhall Wood really want a direct link to Dudley (or vice versa) is open to debate and there have been inevitable mutterings about reliability - if you're in Fordhouses you worry that all your buses will get stuck in Castlecroft, whereas if you're in Castlecroft you worry that all your buses will get stuck in Fordhouses! These prime new routes also seem to be the ones avoiding the new bus station, so it will be interesting to see how they are received once they are actually running.

Service Changes: A number of other services have changed, which as ever means you have winners and losers. A few observations for you;

If you travel along the Wednesfield Road you will be spoilt for choice - not only are there frequent 59s to/from Ashmore Park but you could also get the 69 or 89 Walsall services.
Efforts have been made to increase access to New Cross Hospital, a sensible decision which I think has to be applauded. For example, the 25 provides new direct hospital connections for places like Wobaston and Low Hill, whilst the 28 will now call in the hospital grounds.
There seem to be more through connections to Walsall, so as well as the 529 we will now have the 39 (via Monmore Green and Bilston), the 40 (via Willenhall and Bentley) and the 69 (via Coppice Farm and Beechdale). The 908 becomes the 89 to continue to provide links with Bloxwich and Pelsall.
Conversely, the 79 is shortened to run only as far as West Bromwich, breaking what had always seemed to be a staple direct connection to Birmingham. Travellers going from Wolverhampton through to Brum would now face the choice of 126, Metro or train, or they can change onto the 75 at Wednesbury or West Bromwich.
The improved Walsall links mean that places like Beechdale, Coppice Farm and Reedswood gain regular buses to Wolverhampton and yet Stowlawn (an estate well within the Wolverhampton boundary) loses it's direct daytime service to the city because the 26 will only go as far as Bilston. The estate gets the 34 as a consolation so residents can get into Walsall instead. This does seem slightly bizarre, although whenever I've used the old 526 it did seem that most passengers from Stowlawn only tended to go as far as Bilston anyway.
I notice that the 613 is set to become the combined 63 and 64 routes, with buses apparently changing numbers half way around the Bradmore/Penn end of the route. Now the 613 was confusing enough as it was and I had hoped that the review might resolve this, but the new timetable seems equally as baffling in terms of where the crossover takes place. I can't help thinking a trick has been missed here.
Some places will sadly see a reduction in service. Deansfield Road is one example whilst the old 525 sections around The Scotlands and Wood End particularly stand out for me as this was a route I used regularly. Wood End actually seems to have been cast adrift on the new network - where it once had the 525 and 528 running frequently between them, unless I'm missing something obvious there now only seems to be the Arriva 68 calling here. The new 28 goes off round Bellamy Lane and Ridge Lane to plug one hole but for me this leaves an alarming gap at the Pheasant and the shops on Wood End island where surely there are more passengers to be had???
Perhaps the most bizarre creation of the revised network is the new 57 route, which seems to have been dreamt up as a way of filling as many gaps as possible. As a join-the-dots exercise this is a masterpiece, linking Wolverhampton and Bilston over nearly an hour and a half (!!) via Ettingshall, New Cross, Fallings Park, The Scotlands, Wednesfield, Noose Crescent, Willenhall and Rough Hay. It attempts to combine the 575 route (which was fairly hideous already) with the 574 and leftover bits of 525; people might well make use of certain intermediary sections of the route but in all seriousness I can't see this attracting many passengers at all.
For me personally, the proposed network does away with some routes I am rather fond of, such as the 598 (Bushbury Hill being covered by the 2 through to Warstones), the 698 (the 25 will link Low Hill with Wobaston), the Pendeford Circulars (use the 4 for Rakegate and Stafford Road or the 6 for Dovecotes and Blakeley Green) and the 525 (a Paul favourite which I will be sorry to see go). However, the replacement services for all of these do allow for new travel opportunities and adventures, so there is plenty for me to be positive about.

I could probably make countless more comments but I think that's enough for the time being, and whilst at times I've been quite critical above I think it's important that I reserve full judgment until I've seen the new network in practice. I expect that Sunday 24th and the days immediately afterwards will be absolute carnage as passengers adjust to the changes; despite the best efforts of Centro and the bus operators there are bound to be people who are clueless as to what is occurring, and the double whammy of trying to work out which new route you need to catch from which stand in the new bus station (or not as the case may be) is potentially a recipe for chaos.

Let's get over the hurdle of the next couple of weeks and in time everything should settle down. It is only then that we will have a proper indication of whether the changes have brought improvements or problems/cutbacks - in truth there will probably be a mixture of both. We're certainly in for an interesting few days!

Warwick Wanderings

2011-07-10T21:44:00.006Z

Friday 8th July brought with it the latest episode of Chip Foundation antics as Nick introduced us to the wonders of Warwick. Here are some pictorial highlights...

After meeting up on the train at Coseley, we head into Birmingham for a look around Moor Street Station. The Chiltern service to Marylebone provides us with our Warwick connection, arriving just before 2 pm so Nick can pose on the platform. He doesn't take much persuading these days, one sight of the camera and he's into position with a ready grin!

The Wild Boar is handily placed near the station so we can sample some ales from the Slaughterhouse Brewery, all named with a distinct piggy theme. We then stroll into Warwick town centre for some lunch and a chance encounter with an old penitentiary door on the corner of Barrack Street - I resisted the temptation to lock them inside and throw away the key as I needed someone to pay for the drinks later.

It was actually my round next as Nick leads us to the Punch Bowl, a historic coaching inn that nowadays is an unexpected outpost for Oakwell beers from Barnsley. The Dark Mild was in excellent fettle and I was delighted to find that the ales came at honest Yorkshire prices that a certain reincarnated Stourbridge bus driver would surely have approved of.

The Old Fourpenny Shop completes our trio of taverns in the town and then we go cross-country to get in a bit of exercise. The walk was perfect and included sections across Warwick Racecourse (hence this view looking over at the grandstand) and along part of the Grand Union Canal.

Our next port of call was the Cape of Good Hope, a quintessential canalside pub brimming with traditional atmosphere. We approach the pub by scrambling over the locks, something I managed in a most uncertain fashion but a half of Two Llocks (also referred to as twollocks and brewed specifically for the pub) helped me regain some composure. I also liked the fact that you could get served out of the front window, adding that little note of quirkiness for extra brownie points.

We rejoin the canal and soon reach Warwick Parkway from where a return Chiltern service delivers us safely to Snow Hill. We test out the new station access to exit onto Livery Street where Nickolenko can't resist investigating the Lithuanian delicatessen. The evening is completed with a couple of Jewellery Quarter stops (the Queens Arms and the Brown Lion, more Two Towers treats in the latter) followed by some jazz at the Trumpet in Bilston. Superb stuff to round off another brilliant day, and with my Warwick bearings now firmly in place I could easily be tempted to return...

WME Flickr Focus: June 2011

2011-07-07T09:14:00.002Z

Half way through another year already and these monthly digests seem to be rolling around at a hectic rate of knots. Steady progress was the name of the game for June as I continued the long process of resuscitating the WME archive in its new home. Here comes the number crunching...

82 photos were reinstated in June, bringing my Flickr running total to 413. Useful then but there's still a long way to go to reach the 2359 I had on Fotopic, and that's before I even think about adding new stuff into the mix.
Of those 82, 55 have nestled into WME Wolverhampton bringing my score there to 281 out of a target of 435. A good chunk of my Wolverhampton photos are now back online which is pleasing, and within that some of the sets are getting their substance back, examples being Bilston (16 shots), Heath Town (8 photos) and Tettenhall (10 photos).
WME Walsall received 23 photos in June meaning I've now got 125 of the original 208 shots back in place. Bloxwich and Streetly have come to the fore recently and many of my canal views around Pelsall Junction have resurfaced. There is still work to do with both Wolverhampton and Walsall but I am getting there and will keep chipping away at it.
WME Birmingham hasn't really got going yet but there were a token 4 additions making their presence felt last month - the 27 bus at Kings Heath and 3 photos of Sheldon. This did at least freshen up the front page of my photostream as most of the other content I added tended to get hidden away in the background.
Behind the scenes I have now completed uploading all of my Birmingham archive, so these will gradually be released once dates and commentaries have been applied. I have also brought through some of my Dudley bus photos and hope to squeak a couple of these through in July.

That brings you up to date then with what I've done and what I hope to do next. It is becoming clear that getting everything back to the Fotopic levels is going to be a long haul so please bear with me, hopefully it will all be worth it and my photographic record of the West Midlands region will be back for everyone to see.

On Location in Liverpool

2011-07-04T20:53:00.003Z

Saturday 2nd July and the WARP brigade are on the television trail as we tour Merseyside seeking out filming locations from some iconic Liverpudlian TV series…

To Liverpool: I meet the chaps outside Wolverhampton Station and we narrowly avoid someone having a fracas as we head inside to catch our 9:19 train. London Midland operate a good service to Liverpool, running every half hour or thereabouts using a fleet of Class 350 Desiro trains that are always smartly presented.

Touch down in Merseyside: We arrive at Lime Street at about 10:45 and quickly purchase our £4.60 Saveaway tickets, excellent value for a day riding local buses, trains and ferries. Rog is in need of a nicotine fix so we head outside where I can get the camera into gear with shots of the war memorial and Radio City tower. Queen’s Square bus station then beckons for our first bus of the day, not to mention a sighting of the ever-growing D9 bald spot…

- D9 phones home -

13: The Stockbridge Village Circular provides our connection to location #1 and I really enjoy the ride down through West Derby. There are plenty of intriguing landmarks including some derelict pubs for Roger (the Newsham Park) and some gas ones for Andy (the Sefton) whilst West Derby Village Hall also catches my eye. We alight on Mab Lane and a short walk around the corner brings us to Brookside Close.

Brookside: I never watched Brookside much when I was a kid but the opening titles and theme tune still carried a certain resonance as the soap broke new ground in British TV history. The programme was filmed around a self-contained cul-de-sac that was home to the likes of Sheila Grant, Jimmy Corkhill and Ron Dixon. The set became virtually abandoned when the show was cancelled, and today the builders are in converting the houses ready for standard residential use. Some photos of the Close itself are followed by group shots around the Brookside sign and luckily Roger escaped without becoming the next body under the patio!

- Brookside -

12: Back to the City Centre then and all my sprinting during the Digbeth trip came in useful when the return 12 bus hove into view for a TUAR ‘turn up and run’. The route seemed very busy, particularly heading down West Derby Road through Tuebrook, so the thick blue line on the bus windscreen was highly appropriate.

Lunch: Alight at Queen’s Square once more and we file into the Fall Well Wetherspoon’s for lunch and a couple of pints. Needless to say I opted for my regular gourmet burger, washed down here with some Black Cat from the Moorhouse Brewery in Burnley. The local scammers obviously know an easy target when they see one as Rog got conned into giving a ‘homeless’ chap some change – or perhaps he just mistook Rog for Freddie Boswell!!

C4: Talking of the Boswells, it was time to make our way to location #2. This necessitated a ride on the C4 Cumfybus to the Dingle estate – three of us can vouch for the bus indeed being very comfy but poor Andy had to shoehorn himself in above the wheelarch and there wasn’t much scope for D9ing there. After a tour of the City Centre we negotiate the streets of Toxteth to arrive at Park Hall Road.

Bread: Following Mr Wood’s expert instructions we head around the corner to find Elswick Street, the terraced row looking down to the Mersey that doubled as the home of the Boswells in the 1980’s BBC hit sitcom Bread. We had a few misgivings about the general area but I think I’ve visited worse closer to home, and the thing that stood out for me was a real sense of community spirit.

- Elswick Street -

C5: The comedy hasn’t finished yet though as we now have the farce of trying to catch our return bus, an experience not helped by the fact the C4 and C5 do convoluted loops of the Dingle that cover the same roads twice in quick succession. We contrive to miss one C5 then have the C4 passing us twice whilst we wait for the next C5 along. To top it all Andy has to make an emergency bladder stop and Rog visits a local off licence that would put a bank to shame with it’s wall of security screens.

Liver Birds: Finally the C5 does collect us and after a further tour of Dingle we head out to the salubrious surroundings of Falkner Square. Woody’s plan is again right on target as we find Huskisson Street, somewhere along which is the flat where part of the Liver Birds was filmed. We’re not exactly sure which residence it was though, and there’s nothing in the way of plaques or commemoration to help us – in fact none of today’s sites had been marked in any way, perhaps the Liverpool powers-that-be are missing a trick in not pinpointing this aspect of the city’s cultural heritage. At least I can get a variation on a bald spot photo by way of consolation…

- A bald spot photo of a bald spot photo! -

86B and Albert Docks: From Huskisson Street we literally turn up and go on a Stagecoach 86B down to Liverpool One Bus Station, the driver forgetting we were on board so we have to alight in the parking zone. We can’t resist a look at the famous Albert Docks, for many years home to This Morning although we can’t convince Woody to recreate Fred Talbot’s weather forecasts (minus the floating map of course). With a quick nod to Billy Fury we then head down to Pier Head to wait for our 4pm ferry departure to Birkenhead.

Ferry: It takes a while for everyone to get on board but the experience is worth waiting for, cruising across to Seacombe whilst admiring the city skyline with the Three Graces taking centre stage. Rog bravely battles his sea sickness (or was it the shock of seeing Mr Wood’s hair move?!) whilst the on-board commentary tells us about the development of New Brighton and the use of the ferry boats in the First World War. We touch down at Seacombe to wait for our connecting bus and find that the Seacombe Ferry pub has closed down.

Birkenhead: the 409 arrives promptly and thankfully there are no raised lift bridges to hold us up this year, hence it’s a quick ride down via Woodside terminal and Hamilton Square. At Birkenhead Rog introduces us to the Mackenzie, a rather basic local pub that claimed to provide the “spirit of Scotland” but just seemed very average to me - I had to agree with Andy’s assessment of it being a PPP (purple pavement pizza) type of place but it did us alright. A short walk back to the bus station brings us onto First’s 1 route taking us through the Mersey Tunnel to complete its run from Chester and Ellesmere Port.

Liverpool: a final look around the centre before our train home, so we squeeze in a couple of drinks. Firstly we try an Irish American bar where there’s some lively karaoke taking place; I was pleased we were in the quieter room as the rendition of Roy Orbison’s ‘Penny Arcade’ we heard being screeched might have scarred me for life. We then take cover in the Crown where I get to sample some Shepherd Neame Spitfire ale and collect a Cains beermat – the pub is firmly establishing itself as our chosen place to finish off our Liverpool outings.

- Rog taking liberties as usual -

Homewards: we stock up on goodies from the M&S foodstore in Lime Street Station then take our seats on the 18:48 Euston departure, changing at Stafford onto the Wolverhampton connection, arriving back at 8pm on the dot. Mr Wood and Mr Chance then set off to jinx their 256 bus on its way back to Stourbridge whilst Mr D9 and I toast an exceptional day with a swift pint in the Tap & Spile – and that’s that!

Cheers to a great plan, a great day and a great city!

D9 does Digbeth

2011-06-25T21:04:00.007Z

Friday 24th June: Brace yourselves for another vintage driving masterclass as I recount the details of a trip around the Jewellery Quarter, Digbeth and Hockley during which Mr D9 Andy and I sought out backstreet pubs, vintage closets and transport locations...

Metro Meet: Our rendezvous is 0930 hours at West Bromwich Central Metro Stop, Mr Lunn emerging from the hub right on time. We work out a few ideas for the day and decide to take the tram towards Birmingham whilst I report back on Mr Wood’s now-legendary £10.20 round at Portland.

Jewellery Quarter: alighting at the joint tram/train station I grab a few Metro shots and then we head onto Vyse Street so that Andy can sample his first treat of the day, a Victorian urinal just outside the station entrance. The obligatory picture was taken and the theme for the day is well and truly set. We then delve deeper into this historic corner of Birmingham to appreciate the landmark clock before locating pubs such as the tempting Queens Arms on Newhall Street and the almost derelict George & Dragon.

- Andy starts as he means to go on -

St Paul’s & Summer Lane: Our tour of the city centre fringes proceeds with a look at St Paul’s Church then heading out under the railway to sample Summer Lane where Centro House, the Barrel and the Stags Head provide some interest.

- Andy finds the hub on Summer Lane -

Livery Street: a fascinating streetscape flanks the railway lines out of Snow Hill where a series of atmospheric arches are waiting to reveal their secrets. The bricks and crevices probably have a few tales to tell of nightclub shenanigans, concealed storerooms and old industrial workshops. The motley assemblage is completed by a newsagents and a Lithuanian deli, not forgetting the newly-opened second entrance into Snow Hill which reminds me very much of some station entries found on the tube in London.

The Wellington: arriving into the City Centre we take time out to relax in one of my trusty favourite pubs. Pump 15 is selected meaning today’s tipple of choice is Paxton’s Peculiar from the Peerless Brewery in Birkenhead - whether the beer itself is peerless is open to debate but it was certainly a decent drink.

6 to Digbeth: we like the idea of a Digbeth tour for the early afternoon so the 6 is well-placed for a ride up Bradford Street. The Adam & Eve (in shades of pink and purple), the Moseley Arms and the Spotted Dog all provide some useful photos although my attempted shot of the Deritend Fish Bar (with it’s old Pepsi logos) is rudely interrupted by a rogue bald spot!

- Could that be a bald spot I see before me? -

Wagon & Horses: Adderley Street leads us towards Bordesley as we explore the area around Birmingham Central Garage. The Wagon and Horses is on hand to serve the local industries (perhaps including some bus drivers after their shifts) and the pub was surprisingly nice to visit. A quick half of M&B Brew XI goes down well when accompanied by a bit of Wimbledon on the telly.

- The Closet Count continues -

TUAG from the Closet: Andy’s nose for all things bladder-related then sniffs out another cast iron gem on the corner of Great Barr Street and Liverpool Street opposite the Forge Tavern. We follow this by testing out the TUAG (‘Turn up and Go’) credentials of the 97 route with impressive results. The bus is already coming so a little dash gets us on board, and Andy can’t resist a quick D9 demonstration - note how he gives the urinal a lingering look on the way past!

- Turn Up and Drive -

Bordesley: Having negotiated the kamikaze hullabaloo of Garrison Circus, the 97 takes us a few stops up Garrison Lane as I pick out Bordesley landmarks that I hadn’t previously encountered. There are quite a few pubs, notably the Victoria and the Sportsman, whilst we also have a glance at Bordesley Garage and some Travel offices.

St Andrews & Coventry Rd Garage: I brace myself to enter enemy territory as we negotiate Cattell Road and the spectre of St Andrews, home to Birmingham City FC. I sneak a handful of stadium photos but then avert my eyes in favour of concentrating on the old Coventry Road bus garage, bits of which are now in use as offices and storage space.

- St Andrews -

The Garrison: We quietly tiptoe past the Tilton End to go undercover in the Garrison, a hardcore Bluenose pub with various club pictures on the wall and a sign in the toilet promoting the house menu as deep fried dogs, cats and rats - I think I’ll give that a miss!

Grand Union Canal: Time for a bit of waterways, joining the line at Garrison Lane Bridge (No 103) so that I can introduce Andy to the graffiti-daubed delight that is Bordesley Junction. Making our way to Warwick Bar we speculate that some of the ‘artwork’ must have required either a ladder or a boat, or both! We resurface in Digbeth on the trail of more urinals - Andy thinks he remembers one somewhere under the railway arches and sure enough we find it, although that roving bald spot crept into view once more as I lined up the photo.

- A cast iron bald spot photo -

Anchor & Lamp Tavern: Next up is a quickfire taste of more favourite Paul boozers. The Anchor offers some Kitty Brewster from Northumberland as we sit in the Midland Red Bar - we reckon Mr Wood probably got up to a few misdemeanours in here back in the day. The Lamp seems quiet but we still enjoy our halves of ‘Stan the Man’ Stanway Bitter and some more tennis.

- Cheers from the Anchor -

The 16: Another trial by TUAG, or is it TUAR being as we have to keep running to make sure we catch our buses today. The upper deck is virtually empty so you can guess what came next; yes indeed, another masterful performance from Mr D9 as he manoeuvres out of the Bull Ring and up to Moor Street.

- D9 on the Birmingham beat -

Hockley: we alight on Great Hampton Street for a brace of Good Beer Guide entrants. The Church Inn does us nicely for some lunch (complete with hand cut chips) and Timothy Taylor’s Golden Best, whilst the Lord Clifden has a more cosmopolitan vibe to accompany half of Abberydale’s Surreal Ales. Andy then rummages up his short sleeves to pick out a photo opportunity surveying the old shops on Lodge Road, an excellent suggestion there.

- Surreal in the Lord Clifden -

Jewellery Quarter: Having come virtually full circle back to where we started this morning there are further pubs to sample. The Rose Villa Tavern is undergoing refurbishment but that still meant we had the Brown Lion and the Jewellers Arms to more than satisfy our curiosity. The former has recently been transformed into the tap house for the Two Towers Brewery and showcases their full range of beers including Chamberlain Pale Ale and Jewellery Porter - I would happily recommend the Livery Street Mild. The latter was a bustling place where we partook of a swift half of Hobson’s Best Bitter.

- The Brown Lion -

101: Mr Lunn has one final trick up those sleeves of his so we sprint to catch the 101 by the Chamberlain Clock. After some wriggling along Hingeston Street and Pitsford Street, we pass All Saints School and the Devonshire Arms before setting down on Lodge Road by the prison.

London Works: Andy’s plan had been to visit the Queens Head, a pub with a nice old-fashioned frontage but sadly no signs of life. Our old friend the London Works Tavern was just up the road though so no harm done, and it was actually good to be back here, especially if compulsory purchase orders will soon necessitate demolition to make way for a new superhospital. We sup up and then head our separate ways with Rolfe Street beckoning for my train home.

I have really been spoilt for fantastic explorations recently but this was right up there to maintain those lofty standards. The D9 was on top form, the pubs were fascinating and there were segments of places I’d never covered before, Bordesley especially. All in a days work I guess, but what a day it was!

A Clent Crackerjack

2011-06-19T20:26:00.010Z

Saturday 18th June: Most people would agree that coming home after a great holiday can be a little bit depressing as you try to get back into the routine of daily life after a few days escape. Rog and I were in need of a boost after returning from Weymouth, so our antidote to the homeward blues was a local trip exploring some of our old favourites...

Stourbridge: The 256 delivers me to Stourbridge in time to meet Rog at 10am and get a few more photos of the ongoing bus station redevelopment. Virtually all traces of the old interchange have now gone as a fleet of builders prepare the grounds for the new layout. We get chatting to Steve, a driver for Hanson's, and discuss our thoughts about whether the new station will actually be any good.

Hagley: The plan for the morning involves a visit to previous haunts Hagley and Clent, places we somewhat surprisingly haven't been to since 2007. From Stourbridge Junction we catch the train to Hagley and I swoop for a few photos of the station and footbridge. Hagley Village seems busy enough with traffic weaving through amongst lots of parked cars and the Station Inn and Our Plaice chip shop bring back some happy memories.

The walk begins: Western Road leads us out into Worcestershire countryside as we retrace familiar steps out to Holy Cross. We decide to make Belbroughton our next target but whilst walking down Holy Cross Lane we get caught in an almighty shower that prompts one passing elderly chap to pass some unrepeatable (but highly amusing!) comments. I reckon Rog had been doing his Weymouth rain dance again...

Belbroughton: Somewhat soggy and bedraggled we arrive in Belbroughton and seek shelter in the beer garden of the Talbot Inn whilst we wait for the rain to ease. It turns out the pub was already open anyway so we head inside to dry off some more, a silky pint of Boondoggle helping our recovery as I admire some rather fine scatter cushions. Back outside and the sun has come out, meaning Rog can put on his best Worzel Gummidge likeness whilst posing by a Scarecrow Noticeboard - needless to say he doesn't have to try too hard.

- But where's Aunt Sally? -

Clent: We wend our way back up to Holy Cross (no sign of any OAP commentary this time) to try out the Bell and Cross. Rog remembers when the pub had a properly traditional front bar with wooden bench seating but a more recent makeover has given the place a pretentious feel, a vibe that is echoed when we walk up past the church to sample the Vine. Don't get me wrong, both pubs are nice enough but they seem to be chasing the food market (with price tags to match) and consequently have lost some of the authentic soul that I would expect from a quintessential village inn.

- Clent, The Vine -

To Cradley: The pubs might have been a tad disappointing but our walk (rain apart) had been a leisurely treat. We complete the loop back to Hagley Station and catch a return train into the West Midlands, although I momentarily forget we're still outside the Centro boundary by showing the wrong ticket to the guard - I think Roger was hoping I would get hit by a penalty fare but I found the correct ticket just in time. We alight at Cradley Heath to find the toilets closed but remarkably our bladders are holding out well and there's no need for a Mr D9 style crisis.

Netherton: The 124 bus is already in at the bus interchange so we hop aboard for a short ride around Dudley Wood and along Marriott Road into Netherton. Beer mecca beckons courtesy of Ma Pardoe's, this time sampling the Dark Swan Mild which was in excellent condition. Rog gets to see the photographic evidence of Mr Wood's historic D9 calamities before we relax in the little snug and admire the ornate fireplace.

- In the Shrewsbury Arms -

Dudley: A quickfire ride on the 244 brings us swiftly into Dudley where a call into the Shrewsbury Arms reveals a nice period pub interior, dark leather seats and so forth. I'm pleased to get a few bonus photos around the town centre, notably of Stone Street Square, the Saracens Head and the Fountain Arcade.

Brierley Hill and Amblecote: Next up is Brierley Hill so that Rog can do his good deed for the day, delivering a DVD to a damsel of Fenton Street.We briefly go down the rocker route with a look at the Kings Head, then take a languid stroll down Brettell Lane to investigate the Old Dial. The front bar looks tatty but Rog tells me the back lounge has potential, although my mind is probably more closely focused on some Tesco sandwiches I'm eyeing up for a snack.

- Portway Metallica Pose, apparently -

Kingswinford: There's just time to squeeze in a couple more pub experiences as the day winds down. We make our way to Kingswinford to take in the Portway (with a blast of Metallica on the jukebox and another bit of Tizzie Wizzie to whet our palates) and the MHT (a.k.a the Market Hall Tavern) to complete proceedings in customary fashion. All good stuff it has to be said, and perhaps being back home after the holidays isn't so bad after all...

Weymouth Weekend 2011 > Part 3

2011-06-13T20:18:00.034Z

Rally day has arrived but so has the rain, and I mean rain! A deluge of monumental proportions threatens to turn our main event into a damp squib, but the spirit of the occasion ensures that the show goes on and it's full splash ahead...

Breakfast: With the weather putting paid to my chances of a morning walk, I can at least have a longer lie-in before joining Rog and Mr Wood for breakfast. A brief look outside reveals the full extent of the rain and we can't help but notice the National Express coach parked up right outside the hotel, the Woody tracking device is obviously working very well indeed.

To the rally: Full Englishes devoured we brave the elements and await the shuttle service down to the rally site. It really is a miserable morning, the rain lashing down hard and bouncing back up off the pavements. Lingering by the Kings Statue, a green Leyland National soon provides our connection down to the Lodmoor car park by the Premier Inn.

Riding in the rain: It's far too wet to be taking any photos yet so we decide to make the most of the rides on offer, an excellent way to keep as dry as possible. First off is a trip to Portland Bill and back courtesy of a Volvo B6 recently retired out of service at Stagecoach - the bus made mincemeat of the climbs up Portland Hill, no need for any crunchbox there. No sooner have we got back to base than we jump straight on the next service, partaking of a circular tour of Littlemoor on an old Exeter Ford Transit breadvan. It's a bit of a squeeze inside but I enjoy sampling a route we missed out last year, spotting the New Inn as a Littlemoor landmark. A vintage Bristol is then on hand for a touch of elegance during a return trip to Bowleaze Cove.

Rally really: You have to hand it to the festival organisers for still delivering a good event despite the inclement conditions. We take a break from the rides and seek shelter in the Lodmoor pub where the waiter seems quite upset that we don't want a carvery. A brief lull in the rain sees Woody giving his camera an airing although mine stays firmly in my pocket and Rog just concentrates on avoiding the puddles.

- Woody after his expensive round -

Portland Posers: On with the rides and a repeat visit to Portland, this time courtesy of an orange coach where we are all told to wear our seatbelts (health and safety, bah!). We alight at Portland Bill into the teeth of a howling gale and make a comical dash to the Pulpit for a medicinal pint. It's Mr Wood's round and he gets a shock when he's asked to pay £10.20 for two pints of London Pride and a pint of Guinness! Needless to say he was most disgruntled at this turn of events and 'Dave' felt the full force of his tonguelashing as we D9 our way back on a Leyland National.

Final run: The remorseless raindrops show no sign of relenting so it's time for our last ride of the day. Our favourite Ford Transit breadvan is again on hand, this time to take us to the Nothe Fort where this year we actually get to enter inside the impressive coastal defences. The driver takes pity on my weak-bladdered fellow passengers and then we trundle back to Weymouth seafront and that's that. I have to say that despite everything I still really enjoyed the rally and riding around on the old buses remains a treat regardless of the weather.

Formula One: After drying out back at the Fairhaven we head out into Weymouth once more and aim to find somewhere to watch the Canadian Grand Prix. Our choice is the Wellington Arms, family-run with a heartwarming atmosphere to match. We camp ourselves under the television as the race begins but it seems that the Weymouth weather has made it's way to Montreal, a lengthy rain delay leaving us in limbo for a while. Woody and I answer the call of our stomachs with a visit to Chillis (another excellent lamb tikka masala) and when we get back to the Wellington we find that the race has only just restarted - note to Rog: the two-hour limit does only apply to time actually spent racing. The action is worth waiting for though as Jenson Button storms through the field to take victory on the last lap, leaving a certain Mr Chance weeping tears of unbridled joy.

- Eyes fixed for some F1 action -

Duke of Cornwall: Mr Wood is all F1'd out and retires to the Fairhaven whilst Rog and I set out to celebrate JB's win. We call in at the Duke of Cornwall, a small pub amongst the harbour backstreets where there is live 'entertainment' although one of the karaoke singers seems a bit sozzled. Some Blackwater Mild is sampled and two large dogs rush around excitedly being fussed over by the regulars.

The Globe: following last night's discovery there is only one place to finish off the evening, hence it's a return to the Globe and some more Dartmoor Jail Ale. Rog has at least stopped crying now but is still struggling to bring up the strains of the national anthem in Jenson's honour. Our favourite landlord wished us well as we left and I do hope we get to pop in again next year.

- Weymouth Lifeboat -

Monday morning: the remaining embers of our Weymouth weekend and I just squeeze in a farewell wander around Chapelhay, Nothe Gardens and Hope Square, topping up on some prized photos as the sun gradually burns off the morning drizzle. Mr Wood is having an interesting morning as he seems to have been placed on breakfast rations and is still being stalked by National Express coaches. Munching over we make our way to the station and the steady ride back to the West Midlands passes without any fracases.

Well what else can I say? A fantastic weekend once more, great company, lots of fun and I think it's safe to say that Weymouth will be retaining it's status as one of the exploration pinnacles of the year.

Weymouth Weekend 2011 > Part 2

2011-06-13T20:18:00.033Z

What more could you wish for than good company, sunshine and Dorset on your doorstep? The Saturday of our Weymouth Weekend offered the chance to partake of the best that the county had to offer...

Weymouth walk: An early rise gives me chance to work up an appetite with a morning stroll around Weymouth - I love exploring the place when it's that bit quieter and you can get a truer sense of it's character. The harbour looks enchanting and comes complete with those evocative scents of the sea, then I weave around the backstreets picking out landmark pubs like the Globe, the Duke of Cornwall and the White Hart. At 8:30 I return to the Fairhaven for breakfast with the boys, during which Rog regales us with more tales of Hilda and coughing is thankfully kept to a minimum.

- Weymouth Harbour -

X53: Stomachs lined we join the queue for the 10:05 bus to Poole, a popular service where all of the seats were soon taken. The ride provides a steady jaunt through Preston (The Spice Ship), Wool and Wareham before entering Poole via Lytchett Minster (St Peter's Finger) and Upton as Woody and Rog debate the merits of a BlackBerry-based fracas.

Poole: The bus pulls into Poole Bus Station and I'm quickly reminded of why the interchange made such a poor impression on me last year. It really is a depressing hole slapped on the side of the Dolphin shopping centre and looking every bit as dark and dated as I remembered. It's a busy place too, both in terms of vehicles and passenger footfall, so it all felt very claustrophobic and I was glad we weren't staying for long.

M1: A change of operator now as we take the Wilts & Dorset 'More' branded route through to Bournemouth, our First Day Explorers bought on the X53 still being valid and proving excellent value. The bus looked very smart and provided a comfortable ride through Parkstone and Westbourne as the growing proliferation of Yellow Buses are a sure sign we're nearing our destination.

- Buses at Bournemouth -

Bournemouth: We alight at Gervis Place hoping for a good photo session but a sharp shower sends us scampering for the cover of the Moon in the Square Wetherspoons where it seems plenty of other people had had the same idea. Before long you couldn't see the bar so we decided to get lunch elsewhere with a nearby Burger King fitting the bill. At least the rain has cleared now so we can get a series of photos in before the Purbeck Breezer open-topper arrives to take us to the station interchange.

Bournemouth Station: Another somewhat dated bus location but the place is growing on me despite the grim ultra-violet toilets and the ugly brown row of shelters. There are plenty of National Express coaches around keeping their eye on Mr Wood whilst I pounce for some further Yellow Bus shots, the 5b to Kinson particularly springs to mind.

50: Back onto the open-topper and there's no better place to be on a summer's day, cruising through to Swanage with the wind in your hair and a Mary-related song in your heart. Sitting at the back of the top deck we can enjoy the views up through Westbourne and Canford Cliffs (where I spotted the local branch library), then a wait for the ferry at Sandbanks gives us chance to alight for some precious photos (or in Rog's case a precious fag break). Saying that, Rog does get a photo of our friendly lady driver as we hop back on board and we enjoy watching Mr Wood's usually-rigid hair battling to retain it's shape and failing dismally.

- A Hairy Situation for Mr Wood -

Swanage: The route terminates outside the heritage railway station (a nice spot in itself for some photos) and we wander down into the town for a mooch around. The White Swan pub catches our collective eye so we head inside for a Piddle collision, embibing of another local Dorset brew.

- Having a Piddle in Swanage -

40: On with the buses and another Purbeck Breezer albeit not open top so Mr Wood's hair is spared further carnage. It's a scenic run through to Wareham with a hearty dose of D9 driving through Corfe Castle, then we decide to stay on all the way through to Poole via Organford and its old post office.

Poole: not wishing to spend a second longer at the bus station than necessary we quickly head through the Dolphin arcades to find the Lord Wimborne Wetherspoons. Mr Wood's brother Craig has arranged to meet us and we enjoy a couple of pints in his company whilst avoiding a genuine fracas at the bar.

X53: back to Weymouth with the customary D9 reversing out of Poole, 'Dave' is proving to be a busy chap this holiday. Lytchett Minster, Wareham and Wool are all encountered again but the journey is mainly notable for Rog's growing bladder torment - he must've spent at least half an hour in serious discomfort and could barely walk when we finally arrived back at the Kings Statue, a sight that me and Woody obviously thought was hilarious.

Weymouth evening: Roger just about made it to the gents and emerges much relieved indeed. A freshening-up session at the Fairhaven is followed by tea at the William Henry, then the night is ours to sample more of Weymouth's pub culture. This time we head to the far side of the harbour to find favourites old and new...

- A relieved Rog re-emerges -

Chapelhay Tavern: perched at the top of some steps leading up from the old High Street, the Chapelhay Tavern is a cracking little pub with a distinct nautical flavour. The walls are adorned with shipping memorabilia and a radio on the bar crackles with news from the coastguard as some salty regulars listen intently. The whole experience really captured my imagination and provided a memorable glimpse of a truly authentic seaside local.

The Boot: a favourite discovery from last year which more than lived up to expectations. A half of Jennings' Tizzie Wizzie (named after a mythical beast from the Lake District) slips down very nicely as Roger gets out his netbook, the pub's free wi-fi enabling me to track down a song called 'Midnight Mary' especially for the Chancer.

The Globe: with Mr Wood retiring for the evening, Rog and I seek out one final inn and are rewarded with another gem. Tucked away in a backstreet on the town side of the harbour, the Globe was a cracking find with the warmest of welcomes. A friendly landlord, a free jukebox and some excellent beer (top notch Dartmoor Jail Ale) are all to be commended and it was a wrench to leave even though it was gone midnight. We make our way back to the Fairhaven and keep fingers crossed that rally day will be just as special...

Weymouth Weekend 2011 > Part 1

2011-06-13T20:18:00.032Z

Last year's Weymouth Vintage Bus Running Day was one of the ultimate highlights of my 2010 explorations so needless to say a return visit was considered absolutely essential. The chance for a weekend of bus indulgence was too much to resist so on Friday 10th June Woody, Rog and I departed for Dorset to begin three days of roving revelry...

To Weymouth: I meet up with the guys at Birmingham New Street for a spot of breakfast and then we catch the 10:03 CrossCountry service down to Southampton Central, a steady journey that included a few bonus photos during a pause at Reading. At Southampton we change onto South West trains, enjoying the scenery through the New Forest and Poole Harbour before Weymouth finally appears on the horizon.

Checking in: Alighting at the seaside we make our way to our hotel, the same one as last year, with Roger on the lookout for potential dance partners of the more senior variety. Having safely settled in we're now ready for the first pint of the weekend, a Flying Dutchman courtesy of the William Henry Wetherspoons.

X53 Jurassic Coastliner: With the necessary lubrication having been taken it's time for some bus action and a taster of an epic route that links Poole and Exeter over some four and a half hours. We sample the section through from Weymouth to Lyme Regis which includes glimpses of West Bay, Bridport and Charmouth.

- The Pilot Boat -

Lyme Regis: Steep narrow streets lead us towards the seafront and we alight into a touch of drizzle but nothing too serious. A quick shot of the bus and then we seek out the Pilot Boat for a refreshing pint - I enjoyed my Palmer's Copper Ale but the pub didn't quite have the character I was hoping for. Quaffing over we climb up the High Street to catch our next bus by the post office, the hike allowing for extra photos including the Volunteer Inn.

31: After a bit of waiting the 31 arrives on the scene with our initial intention being to catch the bus to Bridport. However, we're not long into the journey when the heavens open and despite a brave attempt at some outstation photos our Bridport stay is quickly aborted. We rejoin the bus and continue back through to Weymouth via Dorchester.

Duke of Albany: Thankfully the weather is kinder once we're back at base so a quick freshen-up and we can try out some of the local pubs. First up is the Duke of Albany down a sidestreet not far from the station where we meet a very vocal parrot who has a penchant for wolf-whistling. Our efforts to get the bird to insult Roger prove in vain although I did detect a squawk of 'Mary' at one point.

- Tasting Tetley's at the Duke of Albany -

Brownlow: A decent curry at Chillis sets us up nicely for another pub close to the station, this one you can actually see from the platforms. The building looks tired from the outside but wasn't too bad and we enjoyed a game of pool although my potting skills had completely deserted me.

The Cutter: As was customary last year, the evening finishes in the Cutter (a.k.a. the Gutter) where I am stunned to find that the Foster's is available. No sign of any playful dogs sadly, just some people getting quite deep into their karaoke. We retire back to the Fairhaven where Rog and I brave the bottom bar and Rog makes the acquaintance of Hilda and her sister for a dance marathon. Needless to say I make a sharp exit in case I became overcome with the excitement...

WME Flickr Focus: May 2011

2011-06-04T10:43:00.003Z

The battle to re-establish West Midlands Exploration in its new home continues thanks to a month of steady accumulation. If April provided the first rush of housewarming furniture, May has seen me settle further into my Flickr abode with more of the nicknacks and ornaments slotting into place...

Much of May's impetus came courtesy of my Walsall collection as 68 pictures found their way back online. These photos have tended to have a nice spread rather than be particularly concentrated, hence buses, canals and train stations have made appearances alongside representatives from a range of local areas. Added to April's offerings and Walsall now stands at 26 sets displaying a total of 102 photos, meaning I'm well on the way to resurrecting the 208 that were on the old Fotopic.

Wolverhampton has continued to tick over after April's initial burst of energy. Another 38 shots here give me a running total of 226 and some of the sets are coming along nicely - the likes of Heath Town, Northwood Park, Whitmore Reans and Tettenhall have all made a strong early impression. There is still work to do to reach the 435 mark, and I have been relying on some of my earliest digital photos to make inroads thus far, meaning the quality of some of the images is quite grainy in places.

In my last Flickr Focus I mentioned that I had started uploading my Birmingham photos. Well that process has continued throughout May and a sizeable chunk of the Brum archive I had on Fotopic has been recovered. I've even managed to squeak a couple of bus shots through onto my public photostream so some 7s at Perry Common and the 11C at Harborne are now available again for you to view. I've also placed a direct link to the new Birmingham collection on the blog, but please don't expect to see too much appearing in there just yet.

So what's the plan heading into June then? Well I hope to release more of my Wolverhampton and Walsall photos with possibly a few Birmingham ones as well. Behind the scenes I need to upload my Birmingham railway shots and I might even start work on getting some movement with Dudley and Sandwell. In the meantime I hope you enjoy my photostream as it continues to evolve and I aim to be back with more news soon.

D9 does Dudley

2011-05-31T07:14:00.008Z

Friday 27th May: Walking and beer was the order of the day as Mr D9 Andy and I embarked upon our latest tour of the Black Country…

527: I’d arranged to meet Andy at Dudley for 9:30 so the 527 is my chosen route with its potential for soaking up a bit of time thanks to a sedate run through Northway, Sedgley and Gornal Wood.

Dudley: A few quick photos include the Fellows pub, the Heart Foundation electrical shop and the Shrewsbury Arms before Andy beckons me to the hub to begin the outing proper.

D9 leads on: A leisurely walk and some classic nosing about does us nicely for the morning. We covered a fair few miles, starting with Flood Street and the Fusion nightclub where Andy regales me with more tales of drunken escapades (but no pick-up trucks thankfully). We then spot an Asian lady seemingly blessing her dustbin as we report in for an inspection of Blowers Green's old railway station.

Paradise: A curiously-named corner of Dudley which includes a little war memorial plus two old pub sites; the houses where the Struggling Man was now seem to be pretty much finished and we also spot the old Barley Mow pub on the corner with Blackacre Road at the back of the Nuttall's factory.

- Caroline Street -

Kates Hill: a backstreet shimmy in Dixons Green reveals a penchant for outdoor sofas, a theme that continues as we progress to Kates Hill. Andy seems determined to photograph one particular corner shop whilst my targets include the Ivy House, St John's Church and a nice view along Caroline Street looking towards Dudley Castle.

Warrens Hall: We are gradually weaving our way towards Netherton and our mission is to try and find one of the vents that supplies air into the underground canal tunnel. We therefore have a ferret around in Warrens Hall Nature Reserve as Mr Lunn tries desperately to locate a vent – we do spot one in the undergrowth but it’s a needle in a haystack type thing. We even cross over and explore the open spaces by the Uplands but although we find a pool there isn’t a vent to be had.

Windmill End: With Mr D9 suggesting there might be “a nice surprise around the Bumble Hole” (sounds worrying if you ask me), we head cross country for a look at Cobb's Engine House, a nice landmark to photograph provided that a bald spot doesn't get in the way!

- Do you think it's getting bigger? -

Baptist End: Andy is determined to redeem himself after the vent frustrations so we head up to Lister Road where he reveals the day's star discovery, a little police house with old Dudley County Borough tiles, what a find! Unfortunately he seems to have used up his phone camera memory so some urgent deleting needs to be done. A steady stroll down past the White Swan (with parcel tape windows) brings us into Netherton.

Ma Pardoe’s: a brilliant pub offering a quintessential slice of the Black Country. Today we enjoy a pint of Bumblehole in the front bar, a room that comes complete with ceiling tiles and a backwards clock. Some locals add to the general chatter of the room “’Ow bist Stan?” and that kind of thing. I was surprised that it was Andy’s first ever visit here but I think he was suitably impressed.

Netherton: One pint down and we were hoping for a speedy second but the Bulls Head on St John's Street didn't seem to be open and the Yew Tree on Hockley Lane was catering for a private party.

Dudley No. 2 Canal: a handy little nugget of canal territory starting with Saltwells Bridge and then working our way around by Beech & Sons factory to Primrose Bridge and beyond to Bishton’s Bridge. Its quite a nice section actually with bits of greenery, a hint of a recreation ground and some posh new apartments springing up at Halesowen Road.

Darby End: It really was now time for the day’s second pint as Andy's bladder had been behaving much too well so far. Cole Street brings us to the Gate Hangs Well, a decent local that I'd previously visited with Rog. We try some Mansfield Creamy Smooth and a big bag of pork crunch to get us safely back on track.

- The Gate Hangs Well -

Windmill End: Completing the circle with a Windmill End return but this time it's the pubs we're after. The Dry Dock looks like it's been closed for some time so we have to settle for the Wheatsheaf, which did us alright for a swift half of Boddington's.

238: all this walking and belated supping had meant we’d missed out on the bus rides up until now. We make our way back down by the Gate Hangs Well with the aim of catching the 238, which seemed to be running late due to a diversion. The bus was busy so we squeezed in at the front and had to make do without a D9 demonstration, not that I was overly disappointed as I might have had to sing ‘The Hub Song’ to the tune of ‘I want to ride my bicycle’. The short journey includes calls at Brickhouse Farm (where the Brickhouse pub looks like it might not last much longer) and Rowley Regis Hospital.

Old Bush Revived: The first of our Blackheath boozers and this was a little gem. Located on Powke Lane, it’s a standard Banks’s house in many ways but with its own character complete with a friendly welcome and an array of Laurel & Hardy memorabilia. We enjoy some Cocker Hoop and a tasty cob as I resist the temptation to join in with a rendition of ‘Little White Bull’ by Tommy Steele, the mind boggles.

Waterfall: I could have stayed in the Old Bush all afternoon to be fair but the lure of another Paul favourite was too much to resist. The Waterfall is a Black Country classic in it’s own right although I was concerned the pub name might provoke a ‘waterfall’ of a different kind from Andy’s miscreant bladder. No such problems thankfully as we enjoy a pint of Bathams perched outside on the rustic patio benches - beer and good conversation providing some Friday afternoon moments to relish.

- Cheers from the Waterfall -

The Boat: A short stroll round by Old Hill Station brings us next to the Boat, a Banks's local by the canal on the way to Coombeswood. Just a half in here as we join the regulars watching Deal or No Deal.

Blackheath: into the evening as we conclude our day with a Blackheath swansong. It's not an area that I've sampled much pub-wise, so I enjoyed putting some markers onto the blank canvas. The Beech Tree was handy for photos of the 128 on layover and I rather liked the understated period feel of the front bar, whilst the Malt Shovel scored highly for bar snacks as Mr D9 and I stocked up on pork pie and scotch egg tasters. The Robert Peel at Rowley Village had a homely family feel where we dodged the creche to sit in the 'Gin Tip' with half a Cumberland Ale, and the curtain came down courtesy of the New Inn by Rowley Station.

- A Palmful of Pork -

Rowley Regis: Andy is summoned for his lift home and I just have time to squeak in a photo of the Clock on Nimmings Lane before my 19:05 train. All good things must come to an end as they say but it's fair to say the outing had showcased the best of the Black Country with a mixture of curiosities, off the cuff wanderings and some good pubs, just the way I like it!

Writer's Block

2011-05-24T20:35:00.003Z

Scrambling in vain for a delicious turn of phrase -
Stuck.
What is that word that I just can't think of?
I'm sure it begin with a 'p'
...but all I can think of is pomegranate.
A ruddy relentless pomegranate lodged in my brain
And it definitely isn't one of those,
I'd rather have a plum or a 'pamplemousse'
but I digress.

For a nanosecond it was there on the tip of my tongue,
That word - teasing, torturing,
A fleeting flash then fickle frustrations
Annoying!

It'll come to me at four o'clock in the morning,
This answer to the perplexing puzzle of 'p'.
Only it's bound to be an anticlimax -
A quick 'of course' and forgotten again by morning.
The cogs turn, the brain flickers,
Ah there it is: the word, the phrase...

What a...
PALAVER

It sure was!

Bears On Tour

2011-05-21T21:04:00.005Z

There's been a real concentration of cricket over the last couple of weeks or so as an East Midlands trilogy has kept the 'Bears Brigade' fully occupied. As ever there was a bit of exploring to accompany the on-field action...

Sunday 8th May: The first leg of three sees us make our way to Wantage Road, Northampton where Warwickshire take on Northamptonshire in a Clydesdale Bank 40 over match. Nick, Stephen and myself are joined by Ken and Edward for this one, with Edward acting as our tour guide to lead us safely to the ground. Northants scored a few too many runs for our liking, and although Ian Bell and Mohammad Yousuf ('Mo-yo') put together a fine partnership, a kamikaze collapse meant the Bears went down to an 18-run defeat. On a brighter note, Wolves beat West Brom in the Black Country derby. On a shadier note, Northampton bus station is a depressing, dark dump - although I did quite enjoy walking through the town centre on a sunny Sunday evening for some bonus photos.

- The Long Room at Northants -

Sunday 15th May: Part two of the tour and this week we're in Leicester with the Bears back in CB40 action at Grace Road. The Sky cameras are also present for this one but despite our enthusiastic placard-waving antics whenever Warwickshire got a boundary I don't think we ever got onto the screen. Half centuries from Josh Cobb and Kadeer Ali steer Leics to 205 for 9 but the innings never really accelerated as we would have expected and the Bears closed out a comprehensive 8 wicket victory - it was just a shame that neither Porterfield or Chopra got a hundred. I quite liked Grace Road as a cricket venue, a proper county ground as opposed to a faceless stadium, and the cakes scored very highly too. We also got a considerable bit of exercise when the ground turned out to be much further out of the city than we'd anticipated; to borrow a Rog phrase, we were practically in Bromsgrove.

- Bears Brigade at Grace Road -

Thursday 19th and Friday 20th May: Dispensing with the limited overs stuff, our attentions turn back to County Championship matters at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. In the corresponding fixture last year Warwickshire got bowled out entirely twice in the same day, an achievement that still gives Stephen the shudders. Thankfully this year Notts seemed intent on returning the favour, certainly on the Thursday when they collapsed to 117 all out then 40 for 4 following on. Stephen and I returned on the Friday to see Warwickshire complete a most impressive victory despite a fightback from Franks and Voges and some lusty hitting from Andre Adams. Ian Bell looked majestic all match and soon saw off the 6o run target for a 9 wicket win.

- Trent Bridge Pavilion -

I have to say Trent Bridge is probably my favourite cricket venue out of those I've visited - the view from the Pavilion End was excellent whilst the Radcliffe Road stand should be an exemplar case study of what is possible when providing new ground developments that retain hints of tradition. Our Nottingham experiences are completed by a look at Nottingham Forest's City Ground home (with the pitch being dug up) and a celebratory drink courtesy of the Castle Rock Brewery's Vat & Fiddle tap house - excellent!

- Cheers to Victory! -

Taking A Chance Around Solihull

2011-05-12T08:09:00.000Z

Saturday 7th May: Last Saturday’s outing was something of a PR exercise as, minus the other WARP crew, Rog and I joined forces for a rather wet tour of Soggy Solihull that featured Hockley Heath, Shirley, Dorridge and Balsall Common. Here is the customary account of proceedings…

* Smethwick: The day is off to a damp start as we meet at drizzly Galton Bridge, Rog appearing in full McLaren F1 regalia and already on the lookout for some ‘Fairhavens’ (don’t ask!)

* Solihull: Catching the 9:46 service to Dorridge, we soon arrive at Solihull where the weather has only got worse. A serious downpour sends us scurrying for the bus shelters to plot our next move. The S3 I’d got my eye on doesn’t seem to call at the railway station so we had to catch a rain-dodging 76 into the town centre to meet our Hockley Heath connection.

* S3: A route that came about through the Solihull Network Review providing half-hourly links to Knowle and Dorridge with an hourly extension to Hockley Heath. Somewhat worryingly our Central Connect Optare Solo has a ‘Bus2Work’ livery but we stick with it for an interesting ride out to the edge of the West Midlands.

* Hockley Heath: A border village that was brand new territory for me, so despite the rain this was still intriguing exploration. Landmarks include the Barn Beefeater, the local war memorial and the Wharf Tavern on the side of the canal as we zigzag back and forth across the Stratford Road dodging the largest puddles so that we wouldn’t get soaked by oncoming traffic.

* X20: It was still too early for the pubs to be open and we didn’t feel like hanging around for another three-quarters of an hour. Riding to our rescue came the X20 courtesy of Johnsons whereby courtesy was indeed the operative word, a very friendly service with the driver showing lots of consideration for his passengers. A short ride gives learner driver Rog the chance to test his D9 skills but we both agreed he needed much more practice. Before long we alight in Shirley and track down a pub where we hoped we might watch the F1 qualifying.

* The Red Lion: An ugly lump of a pub from the outside, straight from the 1970’s, but inside it wasn’t too bad. A pint of Titanic’s Steerage goes down well and Rog is pleased when the staff switch on the screens for some motoring action. Our viewing delectation is accompanied by a spot of lunch, a cheap and cheerful curry and chips to be exact, and the protestations of fellow customer Brian who provides our favourite quote of the day, “Who cooked this!?! It’s rock hard”.

* 5: Outside into some rare sunshine with a ride down to Widney Manor via Cranmore Boulevard and Monkspath.

* Widney Manor: A new station location for us and definitely worth a future revisit. There’s a bus turning circle outside that could be handy for photos, whilst the station itself looks relatively new. We would have had a closer look but our train was coming and we had to put in a sprint over the footbridge to get safely on board. At least the dash gave Rog another chance to put his fun-running skills to good use!

* Dorridge: Returning to one of our classic trip locations, and the memories certainly come back when we find that the Forest Hotel is full of wedding guests just as it was when we first called here six years ago. On the positive side I was spared buying an expensive round so there was no need for me to take out a mortgage this time.

* S2A: Rog finally gets his ride on a Central Connect ‘Signature’ bus and he seems to have taken a shine to the stitched leather seats, very smart but somewhat slippery. A trundle up through Knowle and Chadwick End brings us to Balsall Common, terminating at the Station Road roundabout for the signature shot photos.

* Balsall Common: Having escaped in Dorridge, it was now time to put my hand in my pocket and get the drinks in. The Railway Inn was our choice, a nice local pub handily positioned next to Berkswell Station. There are some assorted train pictures on the wall as the barmaid tries to find a football match amongst various obscure satellite channels.

* Berkswell Station: Drinks supped we head next door to see when the train is due, and with remarkably good timing we’ve only got a couple of minutes to wait. The station is undergoing a makeover whereby the derelict station house has been demolished along with the nice old platform building and canopies. In their place a silvery box has appeared that will presumably be the new ticket office – I shall reserve judgement until I see it in full operation.

* Hampton-in-Arden: The 15:21 train arrives on schedule, whisking us 4 minutes down the track to Hampton-in-Arden. Here we can reacquaint ourselves with the White Lion, which combines the charms of an English village pub with some curious Gallic overtones complete with French background music that prompted Rog into some audience participation. He’s also having some fun with a man-eating chair, virtually disappearing before my very eyes. I reckon the seat came from the same batch that nearly swallowed Mr Wood in Dorchester last year.

* Brum: To the second city where we seek out a pub recommended by Nickolenko Pubalotovich. The place in question is the Prince of Wales, hidden away on Cambridge Street behind the new library development and the repertory theatre. It actually was deceptively small and cosy inside with various advertising curiosities on the walls and rugby league on the big screen. Rog thankfully resists the urge to go all thespian although he was saying ‘darling luvvies’ and ‘break a leg’ rather too much for my liking. We then have a little stroll around Brindley Place and try to locate the front entrance to the ITV Central studios on Berkeley Street before catching the 9 along the stop-start Hagley Road.

* Halesowen: Into the evening and our aim now is to enjoy a mini Black Country crawl sampling a couple of further pubs that intrigued us. Top of the list is the Hawne Tavern so we alight just past Halesowen town centre and are spotted by Rog’s brother who wonders if we need a lift. Having politely declined we head around the corner to sample what soon became our pub of the day. The main bar is busy but we find a quieter spot in the lounge where we peruse an array of pumpclips and talk beer festivals with one of the other punters – I love it when you can just spark up new conversations like this. The pub seems to pride itself on a wide real ale selection and my Stairway to Heaven from Burton Bridge certainly hit the mark nicely.

* Lye: Back onto the 9 a short distance (no sign of Rog’s brother this time) and we get off in Lye by the Old Bell. Rog becomes navigator as the sky begins to turn ominously dark and another soaking looks imminent. A few spots of rain can already be detected so we scamper to the shelter of The Hollybush and watch a bit of Doctor Who Confidential whilst the regulars concentrate on the Tottenham vs Blackpool football match. The Hollybush was just a normal local pub really, not much refinement but it served a purpose in keeping us dry. We then brace ourselves to head back out into the rain which wasn’t (yet) as heavy as I’d anticipated, and a well timed dash sees us safely onto the 9 just by the Windsor Castle.

* Stourbridge: The ride on the 9 might only have taken a matter of minutes but the heavens have really opened by the time we get dropped off on Birmingham Street. Luckily our final pub is not too far away, the dash coming complete with that quintessential Stourbridge requirement, a soggy subway. I always enjoy spending a bit of time in Stourbridge on an evening, and the Duke William is quickly becoming our new favourite (and everybody else’s judging by how busy it was). We find a little table in the bar just behind the door and leisurely sup our final half, which for me is Titanic once more with Nine Tenths Below. With the Hawne Tavern crowned as our pub of the day we just have to debate the barmaids award, whereby the two ladies in the Duke steal the title.

* Its then time to say goodbye with a final sprint out into the pounding rain to find the 256 waiting for me and that’s that! Despite the best efforts of the weather, it had been a great day regardless in getting May off to a flying start…

WME Flickr Focus: April 2011

2011-05-02T17:05:00.002Z

And now for the comeback! Following the mayhem of March, when my old Fotopic galleries disappeared virtually without trace, April has been an altogether much kinder month. The West Midlands Exploration bandwagon has rolled its way over onto Flickr, and the slow process of rebuilding my archive has begun...

I quite like Flickr - admittedly there are aspects of Fotopic that I miss, particularly the option to personalise your own webspace, but on the whole I'm pleased with my new photographic home. Flickr's use of collections made up of sets means that I've been able to replicate the basic structure of my old Fotopic galleries, and I like having the option to tag and geotag my photos, plotting their locations against a map and generally making my archive more searchable. My 'photostream' acts as a kind of blog presenting my latest updates, and I also have the handy option of making photos private so I can hide them until all the dating and commentary is in place.

So what am I up to? I plan to work through each of my old galleries in turn, uploading the photos behind the scenes and then releasing them when I'm happy with everything. To that end, the photos for WME Wolverhampton and WME Walsall are now in hand whilst I've just begun the uploads for WME Birmingham. Several photos have been released for public viewing, and my tally at the end of April stood at 222 pictures, 188 for Wolverhampton and 34 for Walsall. There is a massively long way to go but it is a start, and the links to both the Wolves and Walsall collections are now included on this blog along with that for the general photostream.

The challenge going forward is to keep going as best as I can. Hopefully more of my Wolverhampton and Walsall photos should be appearing over the coming weeks, possibly with a sprinkling of Birmingham too, and if all goes well I might be ready to upload some Dudley and Sandwell before much longer. I look forward to seeing it all take shape and I will be interested to find out whether Flickr generates any extra interest in my photos compared to Fotopic. The next few months could be fascinating, well for me at least...

Exploration at Easter

2011-04-28T15:41:00.002Z

An extended Easter break has given me plenty of opportunity to get out and about enjoying some more of the wonderful sunshine we've been having recently. In fact, it's hard to remember the last time it rained, not that I'm complaining because conditions have been just perfect for taking photos...

Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd April: A couple of days in Worcester partaking in that most English of pastimes, watching cricket. New Road was the venue as Worcestershire took on Warwickshire with me firmly rooting for the Bears along with Mr Beardsmore and Ken.

Good Friday morning offered up some bonus exploration, notably involving a wander across Worcester racecourse and a stroll around St John's, a district of Worcester that has some nice landmarks including the church (St John's-in-Bedwardine), a branch library and some pubs (the Garibaldi and the Bell spring to mind). At the ground, Warwickshire are fighting back strongly from a 174-run first innings deficit thanks largely to a second consecutive double hundred from Varun Chopra. The scene is made complete with a prolonged session of bellringing from the Cathedral, the bells having a mournful tone to mark the crucifixion.

Saturday was St George's Day and what better way to spend it than watching Warwickshire close out victory, Chris Woakes ripping through Worcestershire's batting with 6 wickets for 49. Sitting by the press box we were treated to Clive Eakin presenting his BBC Coventry & Warwickshire radio show live from the ground, hence we got a few goal updates as Wolves drew 1-1 with Fulham.

Tuesday 26th April: More indulgent investigations, this time across Walsall way with a tour of Bentley, Beechdale and Coppice Farm. The emphasis for the day was revisiting old haunts to see if anything had changed, so Bentley in particular offered food for thought where the old pub is now Parsons House apartments and the old library site is just an empty patch. It was nice to reacquaint myself with Beechdale too, picking out photo targets like the housing association offices (formerly the Three Men in a Boat pub) and the library/nursery building. I enjoy a spot of lunch at New Invention and make my way home via Ashmore Park where photos of the churches (Corpus Christi and St Alban's) come in very handy.

Thursday 28th April: Sunshine in Staffordshire is the order of the day as Cannock and Hednesford return to the exploration radar. I track down the Shoal Hill Tavern and mooch around Cannock Park, then admire the decorative flags on Hednesford's Market Street - possible royal wedding party preparation I wonder? Pye Green is my lunchtime location this time around, and the afternoon sees me getting reacquainted with Cannock Station, Bridgtown and Cheslyn Hay, pocketing a few pub pictures courtesy of the Stumble Inn, the Robin Hood and the White Horse.

So as you can see I have been quite busy but it's best to make the most of the fine weather whilst it's here. The meteorological gods have certainly been smiling on me recently, what with Rail Rover Week and my March outings also being blessed, so I just hope there isn't a monsoon waiting in the wings by way of payback later in the year. I've also continued my attempts to resurrect WME on Flickr and a separate post on recent progress should be with you shortly.

A D9 Ditty

2011-04-18T08:44:00.003Z

This little ode is dedicated to the WARP crew and anybody who knew Mr Wood in his previous existence...

"The D9 was a bus from a long time ago,
It did all the routes Mr Wood used to know.
Mr Lunn is the chap who is going to teach you,
You need a steering wheel that's bigger than a pizza.
D9 Dave is on hand to collect every fare,
'Til he sees the next pub then he just doesn't care...

Emergency Stop!!

In the past Mr Wood was a real country rover,
Parking in country lanes just to get his leg over,
Beer holder at his side, he was known to get merry,
Which explains why one day he got lost on a ferry,
And his cab had a habit of being 'decorated',
Along with pub floors, so he was often berated...

Handbrake Turn!!

Rog and Paul come along to do their driver training,
So watch out for your ears if it ever starts raining.
With Andy at the wheel there are flailing elbows,
Whilst the clutch going in gives some very sore toes.
The starter button makes our suffering complete,
So beware of us filming there on the back seat...

Next stop driver please!!

Does the bald spot get bigger each trip that goes by?
Absolutely, just as Woody looks like Stephen Fry!
So with Worzel and Lembit and Dragon-by-marriage,
Not forgetting the bloke who worked at Stourbridge Garage,
You never know next time you're out on the bus,
If you're unlucky you might bump into us!

All Change, all change!!"

Soaking up the Shropshire Sunshine

2011-04-11T13:51:00.005Z

Saturday 9th April: Rail Rover Week might be over but there's no end to the exploring as I join Messrs Lunn, Chance and Wood for a Salopian circuit of Bridgnorth, Shrewsbury, Newport and Stafford...

890: The day begins at Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton where our intrepid quartet join the worryingly long queue for the Bridgnorth bus. Whilst waiting, Andy brings me up to speed on the latest proposals for the Stafford Road hub incorporating 'Book-a-Banga' options for those who can't ride bicycles. When it finally arrives the bus predictably becomes rammed so it's a case of standing room only and cling on for dear life. We whizz through Compton and Wightwick noting the various disappointed faces who aren't let on because the bus is so full, then it's out into Shropshire via Shipley, Rudge Heath and Worfield. At Bridgnorth we make a curious detour into the Stanmore Industrial Estate to pick up some Arriva drivers who are let on board despite the fact passengers were turned away earlier, hardly the greatest example of customer relations then!

- Northgate, Bridgnorth -

Bridgnorth: The town seems very popular today with people making the most of the wonderful weather. We alight by the Bear Tavern for a couple of bus photos and I add in a few streetscenes admiring the architecture of Northgate. After our cramped harum-scarum 890 ordeal we urgently needed a refreshing drink so we call into Wetherspoon's The Jewel of the Severn where Rog battles his phone to try and get news of the F1 qualifying - he'd have been just as well flying to Malaysia to find out in person given how long it took for the information to load...

437: Our next move sees us waiting back at the Bear bus stop for any sign of our Shrewsbury connection, due at 11:37 but only arriving at gone midday just as we were about to give up all hope. All the hanging about meant Andy went into D9 overdrive, firstly when leaving Bridgnorth (see below) and then for a spot of extended open throttle chugging his way through Cross Houses. In between times the route called at Harley and Cressage, detours that we didn't think met the criteria for thick blue lines or 'turn up and go'.

- D9 strikes again -

Shrewsbury: Lunchtime, hence a dash to the Shrewsbury Hotel Wetherspoon's where I bypass my comrades in cheekily getting a pint of Bateman's All Seasons whilst they were still waiting at the other end of the bar. Our food order consisted of the customary gourmet burgers and chicken tikka masala (but no side-orders of horseradish), and I also perused the bookshelves where the titles included 'Creative Conflict', 'Wood Heart' and 'The Secrets of Mr Wood's Wallet' - ok I admit it, I made the last one up!

Three Fishes: With some extra time to spare we decided to sample one of Shrewsbury's historic alehouses. The Three Fishes is located in the narrow medieval quarter just below St Alkmund's church and is a half-timbered building with low beams and much charm. We find a corner table where the staff kindly obliged us with a Cheers photo, and I thoroughly enjoyed my pint of Midnight Stout from the Woodlands Brewery in Cheshire, nice and nutty with a roasted fragrance. The only downside to the visit was finding out that Wolves had lost 3-0 at home to Everton, relegation awaits I fear.

- Colonel Custard in the Three Fishes -

519: One highlight of the day was swiftly followed by another as we catch the 519 for a country ride out to Newport. I really liked the rural nature of the route, which featured places such as High Ercall, Tibberton and Edgmond along with landmarks such as Haughmond Abbey, the Cleveland Arms and the Sutherland Arms. Andy seems less convinced though and speculates that the route "doesn't make a big fat profit" whilst Woody seems to have nodded off midway through enacting a Little Britain sketch.

Newport: Upon arrival at Newport Interchange we make a dash for the nearest pub that's showing the Grand National - Mr Wood has a bet on and wants to check on his investment, although the rest of us were just shocked that he'd spent some money in the first place. We therefore pile into The Barley and the race gets away on time but unfortunately we don't quite have long enough to see it through to it's conclusion as the 481 should be waiting at half past four. One other thing we did note was that Newport Interchange had obviously been preparing for Andy's arrival because a whole new toilet block had been built in his honour.

- Woody wills on his Grand National steeds -

481: It's farewell to Shropshire with a swift ride into Stafford via Gnosall and Haughton. With us having missed the end of the big race, Rog decides to call up the final result on his phone although I'm not entirely sure whether he was doing this using a method of telegram, semaphore or pony express. An eternity later and we find out that Woody hasn't won after all, talk about prolonging the agony.

Stafford: A fleeting visit gives us just enough time for a pint in The Lamb, a nice little local on Broad Eye close to the Chell Road bus stops. Andy and I go all Old Hooky as Rog finds himself curtained off, or was the glare just the reflection off Mr Lunn's bald spot?

- Y is for Yampy in the Lamb -

76: The final ride home gives Andy another excuse for some D9/S23 driving combinations, although his subsequent back-seat contortionist act looked most uncomfortable - further evidence that his bladder bother had kicked in again perhaps? We negotiate Penkridge and Brewood before the chaps pick out the ideal locations for the Stafford Road hubs, even finding that some of the bike rack infrastructure was already in place. With Andy threatening to spring a leak, I take my leave and the door closes on another exceptional day. Cheers lads!

Coventry Beer Festival

2011-04-11T10:02:00.005Z

As you may have gathered from my previous post, last Friday morning's Rail Rover tour of Rugby and Long Buckby was only half of the story. There is still the small matter of the afternoon to tell you about, whereby I was joined by my esteemed colleague Nickolenko for a canal walk, a smattering of pubs and the crowning glory of the Coventry Beer Festival...

From Long Buckby I take the London Midland service to Coventry, arriving in time to meet Nick off his 13:11 train up from Birmingham. A Travel de Courcey 85 bus gets us to Pool Meadow, and then we can catch Stagecoach's Atherstone and Leicester-bound 48 for a ride up the Foleshill Road to Longford Tesco.

In keeping with much of the week, the weather was glorious and we were bathed in warm sunshine as we joined the towpath of the Coventry Canal for the stroll to Hawkesbury Junction. We enjoy views of the Ricoh Arena and Nick gets to test out the 'Stone Sofa' sculpture before we pass the site of the original canal junction at Longford. A little further on and we reach Sutton Stop - the meeting point of the Coventry and Oxford Canals remains one of my favourite waterways locations.

- A perfect pint of proper Perry -

Part of the charm of Hawkesbury Junction is undoubtedly the Greyhound pub, which occupies an envious position looking out over one of the turnover bridges. It seems we're not the only ones keen on an afternoon drink here as the beer garden here is absolutely full, but there is room inside for us to enjoy a refreshing pint of Weston's Perry, a delicious way to slake one's thirst. Nick is definitely in English mode for the time being and we have a browse of the various Sutton Stop structures including a police hut and the old engine house.

- The Town Wall Tavern -

We retrace our steps back to Bridge 10 so that we can catch the number 20 bus outside the Longford Engine. Before too long we're back in Coventry centre on the trail of our next pub, heading round the back of the theatre to find the Town Wall Tavern. This was another excellent choice where we debated our favourite Chip Foundation haunts over some Adnam's Broadside and noted an internal frosted window etched with Atkinson's Brewery - at least Nick resisted the urge to play the piano...

With the beer festival set to open at 6pm, we had a spare half an hour or so to fit in one more call. The Old Windmill on Spon Street fit the bill nicely for a dash of medieval charm, sitting in one of the tiny front snugs supping some Olde Peculiar. If you're looking for a pub with character and beams this place is hard to beat - the open fires can add an extra touch of cosiness although thankfully there was no need for them today.

- The Old Peculiars with their Old Peculiars -

We were now ready to sample the delights of the beer festival, which was being held at the Coventry Rugby Ground off The Butts. Despite arriving just after 6pm the place was already pretty full and was only set to get busier. Heading inside we pick up our commemorative glasses and programmes then select our opening tasters. There is a wide range on offer including many 'LocAle' examples from around Warwickshire, so I opt for Merry Miner's Warwickshire's Finest from near Atherstone (very nice) and Nick dabbles with Honey Stout from the North Cotswolds Brewery.

The event is certainly popular and there seems to be a broad mix of people all interested in their ales. The food servery is also attracting a bit of attention and we avail ourselves of a cornish pasty each before battling our way back up to the bar for our second samplers. It's getting rather crowded now so I choose Humpty Dumpty's East Anglian Pale Ale by virtue of being able to get close enough to ask for it, whilst Nickolenko's Slavic tendencies come to the fore with some Gorlovka Russian Stout all the way from... Barnsley!!

It was getting on for half past seven and the festival appeared to have become a victim of it's own success as the volunteers weren't able to let many more people into the hall. We decided to go for a third and final tipple with Nick bravely negotiating the scrum to resurface with some Scilly Stout courtesy of the Penzance Brewing Company. This was potent stuff and hit the spot perfectly, with Nicoklenko craftily getting confused and drinking some of mine on my behalf, the cheek! We leave the venue to a few cheers (someone else could now go in) and complete the evening with some chips at dusk and a train back from Coventry Station. The whole experience was huge fun and I look forward to attending further such festivals in future...

Rail Rover 2011

2011-04-10T14:35:00.003Z

Rail Rover Week is traditionally one of the pinnacles of the annual exploration calendar, so would the 2011 offering live up to the heights of previous years? You bet it did!!!

- Monday: Burslem Square -

Monday April 4th: The week begins with a Potteries tour as my walk from Stoke-on-Trent Station takes me to Hanley Park, the Caldon Canal and Etruria Junction. I branch off into Burslem to admire an array of proud civic buildings (notably the Town Hall) and traditional pubs. Lunchtime sees me in Longport, getting drenched in the solitary rainshower of the week, but I dry off by tiptoeing into Cheshire for a roam around Alsager. A solid start.

- Tuesday: Beeston Lock Cottage -

Tuesday April 5th: Rail Rover custom has it that Tuesday is always Shropshire day, but not so this year. A dodgy weather forecast had me scampering eastwards where the trio of Derby, Beeston and Sileby ensures I neatly cover the three East Midlands counties, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Derby is a welcoming city and Sileby a village I wouldn't mind another look at, but the highlight of the day was Beeston, sampling a pint of Kiss Me Kate in the Victoria Hotel (what a great pub!) and tracking down the Nottingham Canal where it meets the River Trent at Beeston Lock - and it didn't even rain in the end!

- Wednesday: Ledbury Market House -

Wednesday April 6th: Worcestershire on Wednesday with a morning stroll around Malvern Link, climbing up into Great Malvern and realising that the glorious sunshine has made it unseasonably warm - it's only April but it feels like August! Getting my breath back, I cross into Herefordshire for an afternoon in Ledbury, a gem of a market town with a delightful collection of black and white timber framed buildings. This is England at it's very best in my opinion, a fact confirmed with a pint of Hereford Pale Ale in the historic Prince of Wales pub on cobbled Church Street.

- Thursday: Yorton Station -

Thursday April 7th: Shropshire strikes back with arguably the best day of the lot. The weather stays stunning as I call at Craven Arms to absorb the town's agricultural ambience with its relaxed pace of life. A stroll around Shrewsbury introduces me to Castlefields and Abbey Foregate, then I get away from it all with a request stop at Yorton, a country halt with considerable charm. I wander up to the nearby village of Clive with its tiny village store, then make it back to Wolverhampton to join The Bears team as we take on the challenge of the Mayor of Wolverhampton's Charity Quiz Night.

- Friday: Rugby Clock Tower -

Friday April 8th: A final morning of indulgence involves a Warwickshire workout in Rugby, taking in sights such as the Market Clock and Rugby School, where the game of rugby originated. My closing gambit takes me into Northamptonshire, completing a full Heart of England collection with a look at Long Buckby with it's portakabin-style rail station. The Coventry Beer Festival then beckons, but that - as the saying goes - is another story entirely...

WME Update Digest: March 2011

2011-04-01T08:51:00.004Z

Ordinarily my monthly digest post would bring you news of the latest additions to the WME galleries, but March 2011 will instead go down as the month when West Midlands Exploration ceased to exist. To borrow the boating analogy from one of my previous posts, March saw the good ship Fotopic sink without warning, taking down WME and all other galleries with her and as yet there's been no sign of anyone manning the lifeboats.

To say this turn of events has been disappointing would be something of an understatement. I had invested five and a half years of patience and energy into building up West Midlands Exploration as a worthwhile pictorial record of the region only for it all to disappear seemingly overnight. Then again, it's hardly the end of the world - we are only talking a collection of photos after all, and more recent global events tend to show up such piffling concerns for what they are.

The final analysis will show that I added my last photos to the fotopic site on March 9th, a shot each of the 256 and 259 routes calling at Stourbridge Bus Station. This meant that I had reached a total of 2,359 images collated across my galleries, broken down as follows: Wolverhampton 435, Walsall 208, Birmingham 330, Dudley 262, Sandwell 180, Coventry 80, Solihull 112, Staffordshire 299, Worcestershire 90, Telford 68, Warwickshire 45, Shropshire 58 and Exploration Extra 192. I was proud of how the galleries as a whole were shaping up and I believe they contained some attractive and interesting photos, some of which had already become quite historic as bus routes changed or buildings got demolished.

It is then time to draw a line under what went before and to look towards the future. I have set myself up with a Flickr account and will soon commence the mammoth task of transferring my images onto my new photostream. For me this is quite exciting, starting again and seeing which direction my photos take me in this time - I'm not sure how things will develop but I will aim to keep you informed right here on the WME Blog. I shall update my blog links once the Flickr account becomes more organised, but for the time being you can access the photos at...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wmexplorer

Reviewing East Birmingham

2011-03-27T09:55:00.004Z

Thursday 24th March 2011: Centro’s rolling programme of bus network reviews has now turned it’s glare squarely onto East Birmingham and North Solihull, so once again I summoned myself into action in order to sample existing routes prior to the forthcoming changes…

BACKSTREET BRUM: On the trail of hidden gems with my opening stroll round to the Bull Ring. Up past the Mailbox and I find myself on Gough Street where the Craven Arms has an attractive corner frontage and the Gough Arms is just up the road. The Peace Garden and the remains of St Thomas' Church are poignant reminders of wartime on Bath Row, then Great Colmore Street contributes St Luke's Church and the Colwyn pub.

- The Craven Arms, Gough Street -

DIGBETH & EASTSIDE: The backstreet theme continues as I dig deeper into Digbeth and Deritend. Digbeth is becoming a regular haunt but this was the first proper opportunity I'd had to do a full trawl of the place, weaving my way back and forth beneath railway bridges and past industrial units. My discoveries include the Spotted Dog, the Old Wharf, the Waggon & Horses and Birmingham Central bus depot before New Canal Street takes me up to Millennium Point and the imposing edifice that is Curzon Street Station. A roam around Eastside features a derelict factory on Cardigan Street and the former Moby Dick's pub on Penn Street, then I have a quick look at the Digbeth Branch Canal for a shot or two of Belmont Row Bridge - fascinating!

- The Old Wharf, Oxford Street -

THE 26: All of this on-foot exploring is all well and good but it was about time I got down to business with the buses. The 26 is a route that perennially seems to get tinkered with – I first caught it as the Bromford Bridge Lynx, then as a Metrobus to Kingshurst, and now the service is set to be withdrawn and replaced by the 14 (through Duddeston) and an extended 72 (through Bromford). I board the route just past Moriarty's (formerly the White Tower) for a ride through Duddeston, Saltley and Alum Rock. It's depressing to see the old LDV factory looking mournful on Drews Lane, whilst the boarded up Bromford pub only adds to the gloom. The bus then negotiates Bromford Drive to terminate by the Racecourse pub in the shadows of the M6 motorway.

- The 26 calls on Bromford Drive -

BROMFORD BRIDGE: The Bromford estate is never going to be my favourite place in the world but it is still useful to call by from time to time. The Racecourse pub is also boarded up but at least the building is still intact for a photo, unlike the pub that used to be on Collingbourne Road. I thought it wise to make sure I got some photos of the Bromford pub whilst I was in the area, who knows if it will still be around next time I return?

- The Racecourse, Bromford Drive -

HODGE HILL & SHARD END: More local exploring now with a couple of places I was quite keen to revisit. Hodge Hill gives it's name to a Birmingham parliamentary constituency yet there doesn't seem to be that much to it, Shard End or Ward End being more of a focal point for local facilities. The main features are Hodge Hill Common, an important area of open green space, and the Hunters Moon pub. Bucklands End Lane brings me down to the Raven at Stechford, itself a nice landmark, and then I proceed up to Shard End where a key regeneration project is underway to transform the shopping parade into an urban village centre.

- Hodge Hill Common -

KINGSHURST & THE 54: Back to the buses with another route that is set to disappear from Sunday. Currently linking Birmingham and Kingshurst via Washwood Heath Road, Buckland End and Kendrick Avenue, the 54 is set to be incorporated into a streamlined frequent 55 service (serving Buckland End and Shard End) whilst the new 59 will take over the Kingshurst connection. Today's journey on the 54 is brief, from Shard End shops down to Fordbridge Road terminus via Morrisons at Castle Bromwich, but is handsomely rewarded with a precious photo or two at the turning circle. I can't resist having a little mooch around Kingshurst whilst I'm here, hence adding in shots of the Mountfort and the local precinct.

- The 54 at Kingshurst terminus, Fordbridge Road -

CHELMSLEY WOOD NORTH: I still have a couple of photo opportunities in mind and my schedule is starting to look tight. From Kingshurst I need to get a wriggle on, dashing up past the Toby Jug and into Smiths Wood estate where I lose my bearings slightly amongst a multitude of cul-de-sacs, crofts and closes. I eventually navigate my way through to Lanchester Way just in time to capture the 663 bus on camera. This route is operated by Central Connect and is due to be renumbered as the 53, although it will continue to link Smiths Wood with Erdington via Shard End, Stechford and Nechells.

- 663 at Lanchester Way -

THE 689: I'm on the home straight now as a well-placed 966 link enables me to get to Park Hill School in time for the 3pm 689. This is another Central Connect route, and a rather convoluted one at that, which currently links Park Hall and Sheldon via Shard End, Lea Village, Glebe Farm and Garretts Green. Under the review it will be replaced by the new 99 route from Lea Village to Acocks Green - I'm not entirely sure about this idea as from what I saw the 689 was an appreciated local community route where the other passengers and the driver all seemed to know each other.

LEA HALL: I enjoyed my 689 journey despite the various meandering twists and turns, alighting in Garretts Green for a picture of the old Chestnut Tree pub (being turned into an Indian restaurant) and then a sprint to Lea Hall Station. Here I have one final route to account for - the 13 - which linked the station with the City Centre via Whittington Oval, Cockshut Hill, Yardley, Heartlands Hospital and Bordesley Green. The service will be replaced by a combination of the 73 (extended into Birmingham from Heartlands Hospital) and the new 59 (covering Whittington Oval en route to Kingshurst), a move that means Lea Hall Station will no longer be a bus terminus although the 59 would provide some future photographic options.

- The 13 at Lea Hall -

With that closing photo in the bag, I board my 16:22 train home and reflect on a tremendous day of exploring and another raft of network changes. I remain yet to be convinced about the full merits of these reviews, but at least the day provided what will surely go down as one of the exploration highlights of 2011...

Walsall Gets Its Chips!

2011-03-26T21:12:00.005Z

Wednesday 23rd March and with the cricket season fast approaching there was just enough time for the Chip Foundation to cram in one final winter pub crawl, although there was definitely a springtime air for our tour of Walsall, Rushall and Bloxwich...

WRENS NEST: But first, here's something a little bit different. Well not that unusual as such, just some solo exploring before I met up with Nickolenko. I decided to have a look around the Wrens Nest near Dudley, a somewhat notorious estate but with an adjacent nature reserve that has much geological importance. My finds concentrate on more recent features than the fossils as I sought out photos of Summer Road shops and pubs including the British Queen, the Caves and the King Arthur.

- The Caves, Wrens Nest -

WALSALL: With an unscheduled but necessary dash I greet Nick at 12 noon and we make our way to Coseley Station for the direct train to Walsall. We grab a bite to eat and enjoy the impressive surroundings of St Matthews Church before embarking on a little wander around Chuckery (where the Walsall Arms pub was strangely shut despite opening hours to the contrary) and Highgate - I'm pleased to say that the landmark brewery has been saved from closure, excellent news indeed.

- St Matthew's Church -

CALDMORE: Our first sample of the day comes courtesy of the White Lion on Sandwell Street, notable for its sloping bar-room floor with one door marked as the shallow end and another as the deep end. We initially wanted some Highgate Dark Mild but it wasn't quite right (the barmaid almost threw up after tasting it for herself), so some Timothy Taylor's Landlord was quaffed instead as we perused old photos on the wall and the latest issue of Kils & Kins, all in all very enjoyable.

- 'Nickolenko' in the White Lion -

WALSALL: Back into town having been summoned by Mr Beardsmore who has arrived promptly at the bus station. We make our next port of call the Black Country Arms, one of Black Country Ales' flagship houses where there is an extensive range of beer to choose from. I stay local with Spring from the Backyard Brewery whilst Nick settles on some Downton's Dark Delight and Stephen gets left behind when we sit upstairs. We sup up happily but things go a little awry when we try to find a follow-up pub, neither the Wheatsheaf nor the Fountain being open in the middle of the afternoon.

THE BUTTS: Despite Stephen's best attempts to cripple himself, we get back on track with the Butts Tavern, a backstreet local not far from the arboretum. I wasn't sure what to expect here but the place took me by surprise - it was busy and very friendly with a proper community atmosphere. Again there is a varied ale selection but Burton Bridge's Bramble Stout quickly got my vote as we sat in the ESPN room in some comfy chairs by the pool table. This was a nice spot for some conversation and we were joined momentarily by a chap, the landlord I presume, for a little bit of cricket chat.

- The Butts Tavern -

RUSHALL: It was now time to explore wider Walsall some more so we catch a very full 10A bus up to Daw End Lane, I'm surprised the driver let us on! Our target was the Manor Arms situated on Park Road near to the canal and Park Lime Pits nature reserve. The pub has been a favourite of mine for a while now thanks to it's considerable charm, history and quirkiness - there isn't a bar counter as such, the pumps come straight out of the wall. Some Ringwood Old Thumper slips down very nicely as we debate how to define the Black Country. I don't think we succeeeded there but we did agree that the Manor Arms has a very appealing location just that bit off the beaten track.

- The Manor Arms -

BLOXWICH: A combination of the 8 and 908 delivers us safely to Bloxwich as evening sets in, the 908 having got us out of a potential pickle when we might have been stranded in Pelsall - I might have to fine tune the bus radar in future. With a spare hour or so we are enticed into The Bell, a pub that has some very nice traditional features such as green leather seating and a period smoke room but I wouldn't necessarily class it as a real ale place to visit. I think the Bell has the potential to be an absolute gem, especially given the character of the interior, but at the moment it seems perfectly happy being a decent local serving Banks's.

- A Bunch of Bears in The Bell -

TURF TAVERN (Tinkies): We pause for a takeaway tea on a bench in the Memorial Gardens and then the day has one final treat in store. I wasn't completely convinced by the Turf Tavern when I first visited a few years ago, but this time around I was totally won over. Nestled in amongst a row of terraces, the outside of the pub does look shabby but inside it was well-presented, almost like entering a museum. The welcome was very friendly and the beer excellent (Pardoe's Bumblehole is virtually guaranteed to always score highly as far as I'm concerned), and I thoroughly relished sitting on our wooden slatted bench seats having a natter despite the fact I was rapidly losing my voice. Everyone made us feel very much at home with customers saying goodnight as they left and it did feel like a throwback to a bygone age yet still very relevant to today. In short I thought the Turf was great, a place that deserves to be cherished and supported.

What a way to finish then, not just in terms of this single outing but when thinking about our winter exploits as a whole: Sedgley, Coseley, Gornal, Darlaston and Wolverhampton then all culminating here. The cricket will undoubtedly take our attention over the coming months and I hope the summer yields it's own fine memories as we get out and about supporting the Warwickshire Bears...

In Search of Old Oldbury

2011-03-20T12:35:00.005Z

Friday 18th March: Following the success of our Smethwick outing last month, Andy and I joined forces once more for another slice of Sandwell shenanigans. This time our target was the Oldbury area as we hoped to uncover some hidden history...

WEST BROMWICH: As with our last trip, a 10:30 start gives me scope beforehand for some solo exploration. Spon Lane will do nicely, weaving around to find photo targets such as the Cricketers Arms on Kenrick Park and the Windsor Castle on the Lyng. Perhaps the most saddening discovery was the Forrester's Arms on Ault Street, a traditional little pub that has been reduced to a festering shell.

- The Forresters Arms -

After a little wander along West Bromwich High Street it's over to the bus station where Andy arrives armed with a vintage A-Z and a guide to historic Oldbury. We decide to recapture some history straight away with Mr D9 on hand to provide his own brand of transport re-enactments...

- The D9 leaves West Bromwich -

OLDBURY CANAL LOOP: We alight by Sandwell & Dudley Station and set to work investigating possible remnants of the former Oldbury Carriage Works before concentrating on the old loop canal that once encircled Oldbury town centre. Church Street Bridge provides a very big clue and from here we can follow a brambly track round to Birmingham Street - it's overgrown and litter-strewn in places but fascinating all the same.

- Church Street Bridge -

OLDBURY TOWN: Birmingham Street landmarks include Church Square, the Junction and the Bull's Head, whilst the junction with Halesowen Street has some little shops such as Aplin's and Lucy Thompson's which hint at what the town centre would've looked like before the arrival of the infamous Sainsbury's Savacentre - the supermarket probably saved the town from economic meltdown but wiped away so much heritage in the process. Along Church Street we find the Waggon & Horses, the public library (recently closed with services moving to Jack Judge House) and the architectural curiosity that is Sandwell Council House, I'm not convinced about on the appeal of that one!

INDUSTRIAL DECAY: Next up Andy introduces me to the site of the former Hunt Brothers foundry off West Bromwich Street, now just a flattened zone with only the occasional fragment of a gatepost or a manhole cover to tell of what went before. We also spot potential further canal remains and can't resist a bit of a scramble for a closer look. Various thorns and nettles did not deter us although Andy was concerned he might get a rat up his trousers!

OLDBURY PUBS: All this ferreting about had made us thirsty so it was time for a pint or two. The sounds of Elvis drew us towards the Junction, where Mr Presley certainly proved he was a 'Good Luck Charm' when the Guinness was on at £2 a pint (even Mr Wood would've been happy with that price!) The Waggon & Horses was also well worth a visit for some Enville White and a proper pub interior, although sadly we didn't get to see the resident ghost. A brief encounter with the Savacentre is required (yes, the bladder was calling) and then we're free to catch the 87 where Andy's bald spot turns green during another D9 demonstration.

- The D9 out and about in Oldbury -

TIVIDALE: One of Andy's old stomping grounds and the setting for a couple more pub visits. We braved the Albion despite my misgivings about setting foot inside a place that has a Baggies shirt on it's pub sign, then decamped to the safer territory of the Wonder down by Tividale Park, a nice Marston's local with a decent drink of Pedigree.

- The Wonder at Tividale -

BRADES VILLAGE: The 87 is working well for us, saving our legs with a few short hops as we head off to tackle the Brades. There used to be some heavy industry around here as Andy recalls how the local factories would have different clocking off times to avoid overcrowding from homerushing workers. The Brades Tavern is a fine landmark building that provides us with a handy bite to eat along with the chance to watch the Cheltenham Gold Cup.

CANALS CONTINUED: Having recovered somewhat from our earlier exertions we decided to do a bit more canal exploring. We join the towpath of the Old Main Line at Brades Bridge and keep a close eye out for any arms or wharves that might link up with the loop we’d covered this morning. Given its supreme status as the ugliest place I’ve thus far visited, Oldbury Junction is having an annoying habit of cropping up in my adventures. The pleasant sunshine did little to lift the pervading gloom of this desolate spot, but at least Andy can now say he's encountered ‘the Soviet Swimming Pool’ and survived. The Titford Canal provides welcome relief as we slog it into Langley, pausing briefly to admire Titford Pumphouse, Engine Street Bridge and the former railway line into Langley Green.

- Titford Pumphouse -

LANGLEY: Saying goodbye to the Titford, we venture into Langley and partake of a swift half each in the Crosswells and the Model. The Crosswells was another decent local at one end of Langley High Street, whilst the Model has had a bit of a makeover since Rog and I visited and now looks very smart indeed.

- Intrepid adventurers at the Crosswells Inn, Langley -

Going full circle back to Oldbury, we can't resist tracking down one of Mr Wood's alleged former haunts. Birchfield Lane was once home to Oldbury Garage, the depot site now partly occupied by the One and Two Halves pub. We believe Mr Wood briefly worked at Oldbury in his previous existence, so it seems highly likely that he would have visited the Manchester Stores as the local of choice for the old drivers. The pub was certainly busy today, barely a seat to be had.

- The Manchester Stores, does it look familiar Mr Wood? -

We decide to complete the day's proceedings in the same manner we finished off the Smethwick trip, hence it's a final call to the Jolly Collier and a well-earned closing pint (in this case Burton Bridge's Four Founders, named in honour of the four gentlemen who effectively formed CAMRA 40 years ago). We say our farewells and I make my home, detouring into Bilston especially to sample some live jazz in the Trumpet, an excellent way in which to set the seal on another fantastic day out. Cheers!

An Unwanted Vanishing Act

2011-03-19T21:57:00.004Z

I'm extremely annoyed to report that the West Midlands Exploration galleries are currently unavailable due to the apparent disappearance of the entire Fotopic service where the site has been hosted over the last six years. I noticed that the galleries had vanished well over a week ago but initially hoped that this might be a temporary glitch. Sadly there still hasn't been any news whatsoever and with every passing day it looks increasingly unlikely that anything will resurface.

Whilst all my photos are backed up safely enough to start again if necessary, it is frustrating to think that my various commentaries and correspondances might have gone completely. The issues are affecting all Fotopic galleries so it's not just WME, and I must admit I've lost a lot of faith in the company given that there have been no explanations forthcoming thus far. I am therefore currently investigating other options for maintaining a web presence, including having a little play around on Flickr, so it might be that I set myself up with a new base in the not too distant future. In the meantime I shall leave all my blog links intact just in case better news arrives, and I apologise to any of you who were hoping to view the existing photos. Hopefully WME will be back in some form or another before too long...

The Great Escape Turns To Stone

2011-03-06T11:06:00.004Z

Back in February last year I took advantage of London Midland’s Great Escape offer, buying a £10 rover ticket covering the operator’s entire network and enjoying a day out around Liverpool and Runcorn. Now the promotion was back, providing me with just the incentive I needed for a spot of Staffordshire indulgence…

Friday 4th March 2011 and my plan this time around was to visit Tamworth and Rugby, starting from Wolverhampton on the Lime Street train and changing at Stafford where I can join London Midland’s London Euston service along the Trent Valley. This all went remarkably smoothly despite a slight delay out of Wolverhampton and a chap on the refreshments trolley going through a range of offers in very precise detail.

To Tamworth then, hoping to build on my previous (somewhat limited) memories of the town. These vaguely constituted a family visit down by the castle and the river, a brief Rail Rover call when Tamworth Station seemed like a depressing mass of concrete, and the Burton day out with Rog and Woody when we found the Arriva depot and had a quick pint. Other than that I pretty much had a blank canvas to work with.

TAMWORTH STATION: I arrive bang on schedule at 10:47 and find that the station is still as I remember it – i.e. grim, very much in keeping with it’s Trent Valley neighbours in being just the positive side of awful. The platforms feel exposed and windswept as I negotiate the ugly staircases up and down from the high level. The frontage is nowt to write home about either - in fact I’ve seen multi-storey car parks that are prettier – so all things considered I don’t have much affection for the place at all.

TAMWORTH TOWN TOUR: It’s a relief to leave the station behind and head into the town. The Tweedale Arms Hotel immediately attracts my attention, sitting on the roundabout just outside the station, and this is quickly followed by the Albert, a Banks’s pub with a painted blue and white side sign. Aldergate brings me into territory familiar from my visit with Woody and Rog, whereby the Arriva depot is enticing as a transport location but the garage doors are closed today so there’s no peeking inside to be had, spoilsports!

- Tamworth Arriva Garage -

Heading down Corporation Street next and the Silk Kite catches my eye - I think this is the place where Rog, Woody and I had our quick pint last time we were here. The pub is a Lloyds No. 1 Bar featuring a nice art deco style exterior with a period clock, whilst The Tavern in the Town on the opposite corner also seems recognisable from that previous encounter. Church Street includes an old corner Co-op store as I briefly investigate Lichfield Road for photos of the Three Tuns and a place called Vertigo.

TAMWORTH CASTLE: An about turn and it’s time to go on a castle hunt. The Castle Hotel is a good clue to start with, then I spot the castle lodge looking inviting as the road leads down to Ladybridge over the River Anker. Tamworth Castle itself is truly a momentous structure, perched on high as a testimony to the town’s history as the ‘ancient capital of Mercia’. The main building seems to all be intact and is a popular tourist attraction whereby visitors can explore the rooms and exhibitions inside. It wasn’t open today so I made do with a perimeter walk and a few external shots, admiring the views looking out over the surrounding parkland with a bandstand and some elegant flowerbed terraces.

- Tamworth Castle -

The river was also key to Tamworth’s development and Ladybridge is certainly an elegant old feature. I dodge the geese and swans to get a photo then retreat back into town, arriving on Market Street to admire the impressive Town Hall and accompanying statue of former Prime Minister Robert Peel. The history lesson continues with a wander up to St Editha's Church, standing proud with the war memorial and modern town library also close at hand.

The rest of my Tamworth experience involves a look at the bus stops on Victoria Road (hoping to get photos of routes such as the 8 and 9 to Hockley), a quick browse within the library and the chance discovery of some charming almshouses on the corner of Spinning School Lane. It's fair to say that the town has definitely made a good impression and I somewhat reluctantly make my way back to the station for my next train.

I’m aiming to catch the 12:47 Euston service down to Rugby but the cancellation of the preceding journey due to overtime issues with ASLEF means the train is rammed full and I opt to give it a swerve. In need of a contingency plan I decide a visit to Stone is in order - the 13:31 departure will do nicely, so its back into Tamworth for a spot of lunch in the meantime.

STONE STATION: The 13:31 arrives promptly and just over half an hour later I alight to explore a location that has been on the Paul hitlist for some considerable time. For a few years there was no service here but this has thankfully restored so it's great to see the station back in use and with a direct service to London at that. And what a station it is! Admittedly platform 2 isn’t up to much, with a brick bunker of a passenger shelter that wouldn’t look out of place at Bordesley, and the red footbridge is also on the basic side. Platform 1 however has the delightful old station building, presenting quite an elegant ornate platform side and then with the main frontage facing down the railway drive. There’s also a curious outbuilding tucked under the footbridge that seemed to have half of its roof missing.

- Stone Station -

I gather a few platform shots then cross the bridge to investigate that main frontage complete with the all-important station lettering. The building looks used without necessarily being open, and the glazed area around the back looks quite smart, possibly even as a private residence or meeting space. The station sits neatly in a junction fork so there are lines on either side, and the station drive brings me down to a level crossing marked with a totem sign.

STONE TOUR: My local photos of the town begin with The Talbot, a corner pub overlooking the level crossing. Station Road takes me by St Dominic’s Priory School to emerge at Granville Square almost by accident. The square contains the bus stops familiar from my rail replacement rides on the X1 (a little Bennetts minibus is on hand for a sneaky shot) and also includes the war memorial, a period café and the Poste of Stone (the local Wetherspoons). The Crown and Anchor also features as a black and white timber-framed building next to Granville’s Café, an appealing spot.

- Granville Square -

Next I investigate the pedestrianised High Street stretching down – can’t say I’ve noticed this before so the town is obviously more substantial than I’d anticipated. The street plays host to regular farmers markets and festivals which can be extremely popular, and the buildings here include the rather grand and historic Crown Hotel, the narrower Red Lion pub and the town library - nice!

PUB TIME: The bottom of High Street brings me to the Trent & Mersey Canal as a couple of further pubs catch my eye - the Star is a canalside Bank's looking very traditional next to lock 27, whilst the Swan Inn is a John Joule's free house on the main road. I was just about ready for a pint and was torn over which inn to choose, but the Joule’s factor intrigued me and a sign suggesting the Swan was a local CAMRA pub of the year proved the clincher. I was rewarded with a cracking pub experience: a lively bar, an excellent local pint (Lymestone's Foundation Stone is brewed in the town) and some interesting decorations including an array of pump clips on the ceiling and a framed illustrated Staffordshire Pub Crawl sketch on the wall. To top it off, the radio was even playing 'Turn to Stone' by ELO, uncanny or what??

- Workhouse Bridge -

TRENT & MERSEY: Pint supped I now concentrate on the canal with a walk up the locks to the outskirts of town. The Star sits next to Bridge 93 (a bland modern structure but the accompanying lock is appealing)., then the canal opens out a little with some moorings and the heritage of Joule’s Former Brewery site. Workhouse Bridge (No. 94) is a little askew and irregular then Bridge 95 is equally distinctive with separate portals for boat and foot traffic. Bridge 96 would also be charming but is rather blighted by pipeworks and this marks the limit of my walking – the bridge is adorned with ‘Welcome to Stone’ messages suggesting I’ve reached the edge of town, so I turn around and head back the way I came.

I retrace my steps to Limekiln Lock (No. 30) where a path over a railway crossing leads me back to the station. I still have a bit of time to kill so a further loop of the town ensues, traffic building in the rush hour as kids pour out of the local school. I make my way to Granville Square and spot a Titanic pub, the Royal Exchange, which could be worth a pint for future reference. A final few photos of Granville Square and it's time to say goodbye, returning to the station for my 16:02 connection back to Stafford.

So that was the tale of how I got ‘Stoned’ during my Great Escape, a cracking Staffordshire adventure and excellent value to boot. Today definitely whetted my appetite for my (hopefully) forthcoming Rail Rover outings and I would urge London Midland continue to offer the promotion so that I can enjoy similar adventures in future!

Worcestershire Whittles

2011-03-05T20:50:00.005Z

Continuing 'Operation Catch-up' on the WME Blog as I detail the WARP Factor's eventful day out in Worcestershire and Shropshire on Saturday 26th February...

WHITTLES: The day was dedicated to exploring Whittles' network of bus services in and around Kidderminster, hoping to make best use out of a £5.50 day ticket. My favourite ride was the 125 down from Bewdley to Highley via Kinlet, but we also tried out the 5 (Kiddy to Wolverley) and the 11 (Kiddy to Bewdley via Stourport). The latter is seen here at Kidderminster Bus Station with some dubious characters preparing to board.

BEWDLEY: Any visit to Bewdley is always a welcome feature on a day's itinerary, and this time around we actually called by twice. The George Hotel Wetherspoon's attracted our custom both times, firstly for a non-alcoholic round in the morning (whereby Andy's bald spot got in the way of what would have been a perfect shot of a cup of tea) and then returning for some lunch. The George was also notable for Rog and Andy's valiant attempts to invade the ladies loos, the less said the better...

HIGHLEY: I was really looking forward to our visit to Highley but it turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. Constant drizzle made us all feel quite miserable and there wasn't really much to do. The Bache Arms hadn't opened yet and the Severn Valley Railway Station was a fair walk away - not a problem on a sunny day but not particularly enticing in the rain when you've got to get back for the bus. At least the local church offered a nice landmark photo or two.

WOLVERLEY: After making our way back via Stourport we spend the afternoon in Wolverley playing pool in the Queens Head. Woody and I secured a tournament victory as I bored Roger into potting the black ahead of time (I probably took my Steve Davis persona too far), whilst here we see 'Ray Reardon' finding a novel way of trying to put 'Hurricane Higgins' off his game. We all like the Queens Head and the visit was made more memorable by a shock scoreline from Molineux, Wolves 4 Blackpool 0 - I don't know what surprised me more, the goals or the clean sheet.

From Wolverley we finish off in Kidderminster with tea in the Penny Black and a swift half in the SVR station after missing a train connection. Stourbridge beckons, another outing is concluded, and I didn't even mention the D9 driving! That just left Sunday with Roger doing us all proud by completing his 5 mile charity run up by Russells Hall Hospital, well done that man!